The Jaune-Shots
by Redhazard
Summary: Hero, Dork, and everything in between. A collection of one-shots and snippets featuring Jaune Arc.
1. The Decisive Slice

xXx

The Decisive Slice

xXx

A battle between Jaune Arc and Cinder Fall could only end one way.

Certainly, Jaune Arc had improved since entering Beacon. Under the tutelage of Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune had gone from a bumbling fool with a sword to the level one would expect from a lower-than-average first year Beacon student. His skill had only been further refined during the journey to Mistral. It was, when one stopped to think about it, an insane rate of growth. Many people trained for years to prepare themselves for Beacon, yet most didn't make it past the initiation.

This, of course, had never occurred to Jaune. His companions were too dazzling, even by the standards of Beacon, for him to notice how impressive he was becoming.

Before Cinder Fall, none of that mattered.

Cinder Fall was a master of hand-to-hand and armed combat. She had full control of her Semblance and profound knowledge of Dust. Even without the powers of the Fall Maiden, Cinder was easily on the level of the strongest Hunters Remnant had to offer. With the powers of the Fall Maiden, which she had spent months mastering, she became a force of nature, something beyond the reach of mere mortals. Then there was her Grimm arm, a gift from Salem that allowed her to drain the very Aura that gave Hunters their strength. A final layer overkill.

Before Ruby Rose's Silver Eyes, all that mattered little.

It happened in an instant. Fear of losing yet another friend triggered Ruby Rose's power, bathing everything in her sight in silver light. Unfortunately, it also left her defenseless, and Emerald Sustrai did not miss her chance. Ruby fell, and the light vanished. The damage, however, was done.

Cinder Fall fell to her knees.

At that moment, Cinder Fall was neither strong nor fast. Her aura was down, her body in pain, her head confused. She was not some exalted existence. Cinder Fall was just a wounded woman and nothing more.

At that moment, Jaune Arc saw his chance. His sword sliced through the air, and it did not miss.

Cinder Fall, slayer of Ozpin, Fall Maiden, the mastermind behind the fall of Beacon, one of the most powerful beings in Remnant, fell to the blade of Jaune Arc. A single strike cut through her neck and separated her head from her body.

For a moment, there was silence. Sheer shock paralyzed the room as everyone turned to look at the blond's bloody blade and the headless body before him to confirm that, yes, that had really just happened. No one was more shocked than Jaune who stared at Cinder's corpse as if unable to believe his eyes.

In that situation, the first one to act was not Jaune who was too shocked. It wasn't Ruby who was too unconscious. It was not Ren or Nora or Yang or Weiss or Qrow.

It was Emerald.

Shock and disbelief played across her face for an instant before giving way to grief and rage. Another emotion soon took their place, burning through Emerald's body like fire, blinding her to everything but the sight in front of her, overwhelming her every rational thought with its intensity.

Hate.

Emerald hurled herself at Cinder's murderer, blades raised high. She could have shot him but didn't. She could have used her Semblance but didn't. At that moment, Emerald was not thinking. She just knew she needed to make contact, needed to feel as her blades tore him apart.

Jaune barely had time to raise his shield.

Emerald's blades clanged against his shield again and again. Emerald didn't try to use her superior speed and agility to get behind him. She didn't try to hook one of her blades on his shield to wrest it away from him. She just hit and hit and kept hitting with strength and speed borne of rage.

She never saw the attack coming.

First, the hilt of a sword struck the back of her neck with great force. It was not out of kindness or mercy that the blade was not used. With Emerald's Aura still up, blunt force had its own merits. The blow stunned Emerald, stopping her attack on Jaune and leaving her wide open. Her legs were kicked out from under her. A knee pressed against her back. A hand took hold of her wrist, pulling it back, twisting her arm.

Something cracked.

An instant later, Emerald's body was hurled into a wall. The pain in addition to the jumbled mess of emotions in her mind caused her to lose control of her Aura for a moment, just in time for the impact. The girl fell into a crumpled heap and did not get up.

Satisfied at having incapacitated Cinder's little illusionist, Raven Branwen allowed a smirk to appear on her face.

When Cinder Fall had marched into her camp, Raven had known the odds. After so long, Salem had finally acquired a Maiden. Fighting Cinder would force Raven to reveal herself as the Spring Maiden. Disgraced Watts may be, but there was no denying the man was capable. In the best-case scenario, Raven would defeat Cinder, the fight would attract Grimm to the camp, and Watts would get away. Salem would know the truth before the end of the day.

Raven couldn't have that happen.

So Raven had played along. She had goaded Cinder into confronting her brother, trusting Qrow's Semblance to work in her favor like it had so many other times in the past.

Still, Raven had been worried for a moment. Qrow had brought nothing but children with him. What they had in numbers, they lacked in power and experience. They dragged Hazel into the fight when they had no need to, engaged Leo even though the man would have hidden in a corner if left alone, and let the blond attack a Maiden on his own.

Raven compared them to Team STRQ and found them wanting.

Still, Summer's eyes had come through in the end, and the boy had not hesitated. He took his shot and ended a Maiden's life, a feat only a select few had managed through the ages. Just like that, the situation radically changed.

Salem had a Maiden no longer.

As strong as Salem was, the monster had not left her territory in ages. Raven doubted she would start now. Without her Maiden, Raven and her secret were safe once more. There was no need to escalate things by taking the Relic. Certainly, Salem would send some of her forces after Vernal, but Raven had experience keeping herself out of Salem's interest. She had done so for eighteen years after all.

And if Raven killed all the pawns Salem had sent to this place right now, she would save herself a lot of trouble in the future.

Raven spared Jaune a glance. She had been there, disguised in raven form, when he had lost his temper with her brother, angry at Ozpin's machinations. Back then and just a minute ago, his eyes had been full of anger. Now, his eyes were lost, unfocused. He had gotten his revenge, but reality had not sunk in yet. No matter.

"Vernal," she called out. "Change of plans!"

Vernal gave her the briefest of nods before she abandoned her fight with the Schnee in favor of striking at an unprepared Mercury while Raven turned her blade on Haven's diminished Headmaster.

It was a predictably short fight.

xXx

The Battle of Haven had come and gone. The people of Mistral would never realize just how close they had come to losing their Hunter Academy. Tomorrow, they would see the news. They would learn the White Fang had attacked Haven. They would learn the headmaster, Leonardo Lionheart, had bravely fought off the invaders but died in the struggle.

Well, that was the official story.

Of course, none of that mattered to Jaune right now. The young Arc was training in a clearing close to the house they were staying at. Most had already gone to sleep. Jaune knew he should follow their example. Many things had happened, and the morning would help him deal with them. However, sleep eluded him. Sheer restlessness compelled him to move, compelled him to go through the forms Pyrrha had taught him. Jaune swung his sword again and again with more force than was required.

The White Fang had been stopped from blowing up Haven. Blake had shown up with her family and Sun in tow. Jaune had no idea how on Remnant had the authorities of Mistral allowed an armed group of faunus bearing the symbol of the White Fang into their borders, let alone listened to them about the threat, but that was what happened. With Blake back, Team RWBY was once again whole.

Jaune was happy for them.

Hazel had escaped. The impossibly tough man with seemingly inexhaustible Aura had shrugged off their best efforts before taking Emerald and Mercury and fleeing into the night.

Cinder Fall was dead.

A scream left Jaune's mouth as he swung his sword down. He stopped. The force behind the blow carried through, blowing away dirt and nearby leaves. A sheen of sweat covered Jaune's body. His breath came out in small pants. He was tired, but not from swinging his sword, not from fighting Cinder. He just felt old. It was as if years had passed since the night began, and he had stayed awake for it all.

He had done it.

The simple fact kept echoing in his mind. He, Jaune Arc, had avenged Pyrrha. He had killed the monster who murdered her, who took away the first person to believe in him. Why then did he feel so…

"You should not be out alone so late at night. Who knows what dangers lurk out there?"

Jaune raised his sword as Raven Branwen stepped out of the darkness.

"If I wanted to hurt you, you would already be hurt," the woman said, an amused smirk tugging at her lips.

"What are you doing here?" Jaune asked, his sword still up.

"I just finished discussing some things with my idiot brother and Ozpin."

Jaune frowned. That was another thing that had happened. After the fight was over, Raven and Vernal had come back with them, presumably to discuss some things. Naturally, Ozpin told them all to get some rest which gave him and Qrow the opportunity to discuss things with Raven behind closed doors. Ozpin was good at sending people away without them realizing he was doing it.

"Do you perhaps want to know what Ozpin wanted?" Raven taunted.

"No," Jaune lied. He did want to know, but not from her. He did not know much about Raven, but what he did know did not paint the most trustworthy picture.

"How does it feel?" Raven suddenly asked, surprising Jaune.

"How does what feel?" Jaune asked, confused.

"You killed a Maiden," Raven said, slowly circling around Jaune. Jaune moved so as to not show his back to her. "In the past, people who killed Maidens were hailed as great heroes or great villains. Which one do you feel like right now, I wonder?"

"Neither," Jaune replied.

"Really?" Raven challenged. "You seemed to hate Cinder Fall quite a bit before the fight started. Are you not even a little proud of yourself right now?"

Jaune swallowed. Proud? Maybe. Perhaps, there was a part of him that did feel like that. Most of him, however, did not have that problem.

"I just got lucky," Jaune said, and he knew it was the truth. "I…I acted like an idiot. No, I was an idiot."

Because he had lost it back there. He had lost control of his emotions and allowed himself to be goaded into a fight he should have lost. He could have died.

They all could have died.

"You did. You were." Raven did not disagree. "Yet your strength saw you through that fight."

Jaune barked a laugh. "Strength? Cinder toyed with me from the start! I… I thought about it so much," he said, his voice suddenly tight. "I thought it would be different. I thought I was making a difference. I trained so much. I tried so hard. I thought I could be a hero. I still did, you know? In the end, I am only alive because I was nothing more than a joke to her! How is that strength?"

"Cinder could have killed you at any moment yet chose to toy with you instead. That was her weakness," Raven scoffed. Battle was no place for sadism. Only a fool would price it above efficiency. "Cinder's weakness allowed an opening to appear. When it did, you did not hesitate. You killed her. That is your strength."

Jaune took a step back.

"That's… that's messed up."

"That is how the world works. The strong survive. The weak die. For all her power, Cinder proved herself to be weak. You did not." Her words were cold and callous, yet Jaune felt it was the truest praise he had ever received.

How many times had Pyrrha told him he was improving? How many times had his friends told him he was doing well? Why then was Raven's praise the one which resonated more with him?

Maybe he was messed up too.

"Whatever." Jaune looked away. "If you're done with your thing with Ozpin, then you should just leave already."

"Oh, I don't think I will." Jaune backed away as Raven drew her sword.

"What are you doing?"

"Much like you, I don't feel like sleeping," Raven said. Her red eyes shone a bit too much for his liking. "Perhaps, a spar will do me some good?"

"I am nowhere near dumb enough to agree to that," Jaune said, taking more steps back. Raven stepped forward.

"And here I thought you wanted to improve," Raven said. The smile on her face was entirely too smug for Jaune's liking. "In front of you stands the strongest fighter in Remnant. Just one spar with me would teach you much. You can take the opportunity to grow stronger… or you can go running to Qrow and Ozpin and trust them to protect you next time you run into danger. After all, they are so very good at that."

This was stupid, Jaune told himself. This was so very stupid.

"Alright." He raised his shield and aimed his sword at Raven. "Let's do it."

Raven smiled.

xXx

 **AN: Weirdly enough, I don't think I have seen a single fic use the idea of Jaune managing to kill Cinder during the Battle of Haven. It seems like such an obvious What if. The guy was literally inches away from it. Then again, perhaps that's telling in its own way. Who knows?**

 **The idea here is Jaune kills Cinder, and Raven is suddenly not feeling a lot of pressure. She is free to pursue other interests like stealing, raiding and increasing the membership of the We Hate Ozpin club, the most exclusive club on Remnant.**


	2. Invincible

.

* * *

 **Invincible**

* * *

The fall of Beacon had arrived.

Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc's lips met for the first and last time. In a few seconds, Pyrrha would push Jaune into a locker and send him away. She would go face Cinder, and she would die.

It was a natural outcome. Amazing as Pyrrha Nikos may be, she was no match for a Cinder Fall who had obtained the powers of the Fall Maiden. If Pyrrha were a more practically-minded person, she would realize the futility of her actions. She could not hope to prevail where Ozpin fell. She should retreat and try to find some help. She should hope for someone stronger than her to arrive.

However, if she did, she wouldn't be Pyrrha Nikos.

The CCT Tower couldn't be allowed to fall. If it did, the world would be plunged into darkness. Unable to communicate, fear would be fostered. Doubt and suspicion would grow. Negativity would rise. In such an environment, the Grimm would feast.

So Pyrrha chose to go into the tower, no matter how minuscule the odds.

So Pyrrha chose to push Jaune away.

She could not ask him to come with her, not when deep down she knew it was a doomed effort, not when deep down she knew he was nowhere near strong enough for the challenge. Pyrrha had taught Jaune for nearly a year. She knew he was much stronger than he thought he was. She knew he would become something amazing in the future.

However, this wasn't his stage, not yet.

So Pyrrha would die, and Jaune would live. One too self-sacrificing, the other too weak.

That was how things should have gone.

This time, this night, things went differently.

The moment Pyrrha began to push him away, things suddenly clicked in Jaune's mind. He saw what she was about to do. The shock of feeling Pyrrha's lips on his own was replaced by the most mind-numbing terror Jaune had ever experienced. Jaune was terrified because he was once again becoming what he hated most. A guy stuck on a tree while his friends saved the world. Jaune was terrified because he was about to lose the person who mattered to him most. The one who believed in him when no one else had.

His hand lashed out. His body moved not by courage and determination, but by fear and self-loathing.

Those were enough.

His hand reached hers. Pyrrha's shocked green eyes met his fear-filled blue ones. Jaune didn't want to be left behind. He didn't want to be useless. He didn't want Pyrrha to die. He needed to do something to help her, anything.

Light burst from their entwined fingers.

xXx

Everything was proceeding as planned.

Ozpin was dead. The Fall Maiden's powers were finally hers. Grimm were flocking to the city by the dozen. Even the mechanical might of Atlas was under her command. In time, the soldiers and the Hunters would tire themselves out. The Grimm sapped away their strength bit by bit with their unending numbers. The Paladins were more than a match for the few students fighting out there.

Beacon would fall before the night was over. Vale would soon follow.

Cinder allowed herself a smile as she watched the devastation happening below her. The Grimm dragon chose that moment to perch itself on the side of the tower. Cinder's hand reached for the window.

"It is okay," she said to the giant beast in soothing tones. "This is your home now."

Not even a second after she said it, a ten-wheeler compacted into a rudimentary yet massive spear hit the dragon's head at over ten times the speed of sound.

The effect was instantaneous. The massive chunk of metal tore through the dragon's head, just barely missing the CCT Tower as it continued its flight. The force behind the impact was enough to shatter every window in the tower. Cinder brought her hands up to protect her eyes from the flying shards of glass.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flicker of gold.

It was all the warning she received.

With inhuman reflexes, Cinder brought her hand up. Fire exploded in front of her just in time to push back the javelin that would have surely hit her head otherwise.

The weapon did not fall to the ground. Instead, it floated through the air, back to the hand of its owner. As the dragon's body faded away before it could hit the ground, Cinder saw the flying form of Pyrrha Nikos rising to meet her level.

No, Cinder corrected herself, willing herself to be calm. Not flying. The redhead stood on her shield which levitated in the air thanks to her Semblance. It was an impressive display, but nothing more. That and the stunt against the dragon should have drained her Aura quite a bit. Maybe if she had used her Aura with greater prudence, she could have been a minor annoyance. As it was, Pyrrha Nikos was just…

"Another fool…"

With a confident smirk, Cinder motioned Pyrrha to come over.

Pyrrha did. The girl jumped off her shield and came at Cinder like a comet, her javelin held high and aimed at Cinder's neck. Her shield followed after her, quickly taking its position in her hand. To Cinder, that didn't matter. Pyrrha's linear charge was exactly what she wanted.

Cinder called upon the power of the Fall Maiden and bathed the world in fire.

In an instant, Pyrrha's body was completely engulfed by flames. The shield did not matter. It could not protect Pyrrha from the heat. Her Aura could have protected her, but not in its current state. Cinder had paid close attention to all of Pyrrha's fights during the tournament. She had a pretty good idea of just how much Aura Pyrrha Nikos had. The power she had just used should be just enough to overwhelm what little Aura the girl had left.

Which was why Cinder's eyes widened in shock when Pyrrha burst through the flames with her clothes only lightly singed. Pyrrha's javelin shifted into a sword and slashed across her chest. Her shield came up next, hitting Cinder right in the face, forcing her back.

Cinder regained her footing just in time to dodge Pyrrha's follow-up attack. She growled as she summoned her twin blades and dashed in.

Blades clashed. Sparks flew.

Flames erupted from the ground, but Pyrrha nimbly rolled to the side before charging at Cinder, shield first. The older woman sidestepped and brought her blades down on Pyrrha, but the redhead was quick to move her shield up just in time to block.

No, Cinder realized. Her body hadn't been fast enough. Her mind had. She had used her Semblance to move the shield in time to block.

Which meant that when Pyrrha let go of her shield, it stayed in place.

The redhead kicked the ground as she suddenly shifted directions and struck Cinder's side with her elbow. Cinder grunted before bringing her knee up just in time to hit Pyrrha's chin. Fire erupted in her hands as she prepared to burn the impudent fool and…

Cinder hesitated.

It cost her. Pyrrha allowed herself to fall back before planting her hands on the ground and twisted her body to deliver a brutal kick that sent Cinder flying into a wall.

Why had that happened?

Cinder asked herself that question as she stood up. Why hadn't she called upon the Maiden's power back there? Was it because her foe was too close? Had she hesitated because she hadn't yet mastered the Fall Maiden's power? Had she been afraid of hurting herself with the power she had so desperately sought?

Unacceptable!

The power of the Maiden belonged to her and no one else! It was her right!

Her Destiny!

Cinder slashed the air with her arm and sent forth a huge wave of flames. Pyrrha immediately pulled a large metal desk in front of her using her Semblance. It melted in seconds but managed to mitigate the damage, if barely. With another wave of Cinder's hand, the ground lit up. Pyrrha barely had time to roll out of the way before it exploded in fire.

Cinder lunged, flames propelling her body. She reached Pyrrha before the redhead could get back to her feet. Cinder's sword slashed down. Pyrrha barely managed to raise her shield in time to meet the attack. Cinder quickly pivoted, summoned another blade, and aimed it at her head.

Aura was all that protected Pyrrha. Stars filled her vision before Cinder's follow-up kick sent her flying into a wall. Dazed, the redhead looked up and saw a stream of flames heading for her. She jumped to the side but couldn't dodge the attack completely. Her arm was caught in the blast.

Even so, Pyrrha stood up. Her breath came out in pants. There were burns and bruises on her skin. She was tired. Cinder knew this was almost over. Even so, the girl still did not stay down.

It didn't make sense.

As the most likely candidate for Fall Maiden, Cinder had paid extra attention to Pyrrha Nikos. She had studied all her matches. Not just her fights in the Vytal Festival. Not just her spars during Combat Class. Cinder had made sure to acquire videos of her tournament matches as well.

Pyrrha Nikos should not be this fast!

Pyrrha Nikos should not be this strong!

Pyrrha Nikos should have run out of aura and died already!

"How?" She shouted as she locked blades with the girl. "You did not receive the Maiden's power! How are you still standing?"

"Maybe I found something better," the girl replied. She even had the gall to smile. Cinder wanted to immolate her right there and then. However, before she could do anything, Cinder heard something crack.

Pyrrha jumped back. Cinder turned in time to see a massive gear break from the ceiling.

"Useless!" Cinder hissed as flames exploded all around her, forcing the gear back, even melting it a little.

However, doing so caused her to lose sight of Pyrrha for an instant.

Cinder didn't see Pyrrha's next attack. She felt it as Pyrrha collided with her with all the force of a speeding train.

The night's sky filled Cinder's sight.

Pyrrha had tackled her out of a building.

"You fool!" Cinder growled as she shook off Pyrrha. Flames erupted from her hands, slowing her fall. "You thought you could take me down with yo-oomph!"

A soda vending machine, of all things, flew out of the tower and struck Cinder's back. Then a desk. Then a chair. Then another vending machine. Sheer quantity overwhelmed Cinder for an instant as Pyrrha used her Semblance to surround her with metal.

Surrounded by metal guided by her foe's Semblance, Cinder crashed into the ground like a meteor.

For a moment, there was shock. Humiliation and embarrassment came next.

Rage followed.

An explosion rocked the area as Cinder stood up, everything around her blown away by its sheer force. Angry golden eyes fiercely searched her foe.

Where had she gone? Had she run away? No, that would not do. She would hunt her down. She would pay her for this humiliation! She would-

Patience, Cinder reminded herself. She couldn't waste time on minor distractions. She still had the Grimm. She still had the White Fang. She still had the Paladins. Beacon would fall. What mattered most was bringing down the tower and-

Instinct guiding her movements, Cinder turned just in time to dodge an incoming bullet. Her eyes widened when she saw the shooter.

Impossible.

Pyrrha Nikos stood in front of her again, her weapon now in rifle form. That was not the surprising part.

Her wounds were gone.

Her body was still covered in sweat and soot, but that was all. Her breathing was steady, not a shred of exhaustion to be seen. The damage her Aura hadn't fully been able to shield her from, the burns and bruises Cinder had done to her throughout the fight, it was gone.

It didn't make any sense.

The girl smiled.

"Hello again!"

Cinder replied with fire.

As much as the fall had hurt her, the change in battlefield suited her. Ozpin's office was too small to cut loose. Now that they were in the courtyard in front of the CCT Tower, Cinder was free to use her full power without restraint, and she did. The trees burned. The asphalt melted.

Pyrrha was stuck frantically dodging for her life.

The girl called a lamppost to her, uprooting it from the ground. Cinder melted it before it even got close to her. There was not much metal to work with in this place. The building nearest to the CCT Tower was a hundred yards away.

A cracking sound reached Cinder's ears. She looked back just in time to see a massive pipe break through the ground.

A water pipe.

Whether you see it or not, a city always had metal nearby.

Water doused Cinder. Steam rose from her body.

"You think this matters!" She yelled at Pyrrha. "Do you think a little water will prevail over the power of the Fall Maiden!"

Pyrrha shook her head. "I was not counting on the water, no."

The confidence in the redhead's face gave Cinder pause. Warily, she looked at the water pooling at her feet. Her gaze followed the water just in time to see it reach the place from where Pyrrha had ripped the lamppost.

Water touched the power line.

Electricity rocked Cinder's body, sending pain through every inch of her nervous system. Spots appeared in her vision, threatening to take her consciousness away.

No!

This would not happen. She would not lose! Not after coming this far. Not after overcoming so much. She was strong. She was feared.

She was powerful!

Summoning all her willpower, Cinder called upon the Maiden's power again. Everything around her exploded.

"You will not win!" Cinder said, panting as she stood up. The water had been all blown away or evaporated. There was nothing left to conduct the electricity. However, the damage had been done. Her dress was torn and burned in various places. Her muscles twitched randomly. Many wounds decorated her body. "Try as much as you can, you cannot keep me from my Destiny!"

Pyrrha's answer was to bash Cinder's face with her shield.

Cinder reeled back but managed to catch the sword thrust that followed with her bare hand, pushing it to the side, and drove her fist against Pyrrha's stomach. Instead of backing away, the redhead planted her foot forward and slammed her forehead against Cinder's. A vicious shield bash followed. Cinder didn't back down. She drove her feet hard on top of Pyrrha's, making her lose her footing and capitalized by striking her throat. Pyrrha grabbed hold of Cinder's long hair to stop herself from falling and pulled Cinder towards her, hitting her with her sword's pommel.

It wasn't elegant. It wasn't graceful. There was barely a shred of skill to be seen.

It was simply two people trying to do as much damage to each other as possible without any concern for their safety.

However, someone had to win.

At the last moment, Cinder's summoned sword shifted to become a bow. The increased length caught Pyrrha off-guard as Cinder slammed it hard against her stomach. With one last burst of Maiden power, Cinder blew Pyrrha away.

Her Aura broke.

"It's over," Cinder said as she slowly walked towards Pyrrha, her bow shifting into a sword. It was not out of a sense of drama that she walked slowly. Her body was really that tired. However, it didn't matter. She had won. She would finish this and then regain her strength.

A high-caliber bullet struck the side of her head.

It was the tipping point. Cinder's Aura broke. Spots swam in her vision. Her brain felt like it was bouncing all over the inside of her skull. It spoke volumes of her skill that she managed to dodge the next bullet in time.

More foes. Where?

No time. She needed distance. Fire bloomed from her hands. It drained her, but it was the only way. She needed to reassess the situation, regain her strength, allow her Aura to recover. Flying was the quickest way out.

She couldn't.

For some reason, her body would not leave the ground. Cinder looked down and found a glyph beneath her feet, binding her, banning her from the sky with the force of gravity.

Ice followed, trapping her body with unbreakable coldness.

Cinder lifted her gaze.

The last thing she saw was Pyrrha's javelin before it pierced her throat.

xXx

They had done it.

Pyrrha panted as she rested her hands on her knees. She wanted to let herself fall to the ground, but she knew that if she did, she wouldn't wake for days.

"Pyrrha!" She looked up and smiled as she saw Ruby and Weiss making their way to her. It was a good thing they arrived when they did. A little more and she might not have made it.

It was an uncomfortable thought.

Ruby reached her first, courtesy of her Semblance. "Are you okay? What am I saying? Of course, you're not okay! You look terrible! We need to get you to a doctor!"

Pyrrha laughed as Ruby zipped around her like a hyperactive hummingbird. It was a nice bit of normality after a harrowing ordeal. She looked at Weiss. The white-haired girl's gaze was focused on Cinder. Her blood kept dripping down the ice, tainting it. Ruby's gaze flashed towards the corpse, an uncomfortable look on her face.

It was to be expected.

Pyrrha had talked with Blake after the Breach. The way the faunus told it, lots of White Fang members had died there. However, there was a difference between kicking someone from a train, leaving their fate to the hordes of Grimm after it, and executing someone who, to a casual observer, looked to be defeated. Truth be told, Pyrrha wasn't exactly comfortable with it, but she told herself there was no other way.

"It had to be done," Pyrrha reassured them. She tried to take a step forward but stumbled and would have fallen if not for Ruby zipping to her side and catching her. "The power of the Fall Maiden was too dangerous in her hands."

Confusion flashed across their faces. That was also natural. They didn't know the full story.

"You will have to tell us the full story later," Weiss said, her gaze looking around for any nearby Grimm.

"You have my word."

"Hey, where is Jaune?" Ruby said, also looking around. "He was the one who told us you needed help."

Jaune!

Pyrrha's eyes widened. In an instant, she shook Ruby off and dashed inside the CCT tower. She found Jaune where she had left him. Right next to the elevator. That was where they had decided Jaune should stay during the fight. Had Pyrrha brought Jaune along, Cinder would have surely targeted him, doubly so when she realized Jaune could boost her. When Pyrrha had made Cinder crash into the ground, she had managed to sneak into the tower to have Jaune charge her one last time. That had also been part of the plan.

Jaune was sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the walls. His scroll was laid next to him. His aura was dangerously in the red.

Three charges had really been pushing it.

Even so, Jaune smiled when he saw her. Pyrrha felt her heart soar. Tears filled her eyes as she made her way to him.

"Hey, there," He said. His skin was pale, cold. He would need lots of rest after pushing himself like this. Overusing his Semblance like he had right after discovering it could not possibly be healthy. However, there had been no other way.

"It's over," Pyrrha said.

Jaune's smile grew.

"Heh, knew you'd do it."

"Not I." Pyrrha took hold of his hand. "Without you, I wouldn't be here. This is your victory too."

"Guess we're a pretty badass team, huh?"

Pyrrha smiled.

"The best."

* * *

 **Extra: Take Two**

* * *

The Fall of Beacon had arrived.

Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc's lips met for the first and last time. In a few seconds, Pyrrha would push Jaune into a locker and send him away. She would go face Cinder, and she would die.

That was how things should have happened.

This time, this night, they didn't. Instead, it was Jaune who grabbed Pyrrha and pushed her into the locker. It was Jaune who sent her away.

Now, it was important to recognize the odds of such an event happening were impossibly low. The odds of Jaune Arc getting the better of Pyrrha Nikos in anything resembling a fight were lower than the odds of winning the lottery.

They were even lower than the odds of a Tsukihime remake!

That was how low the odds were.

However, this night, Jaune succeeded. Maybe it was because every dog had its day. Maybe it was because Jaune wanted it that badly. Maybe it was because he pinched Pyrrha's ass, causing her mind to temporarily shut down.

It was definitely one of those three.

In any case, this time it was Pyrrha who banged her fists against the locker as it took to the skies. By the time she considered using her Semblance, the locker had already reached its point of highest elevation. Leaving the locker at that moment meant a long and dangerous fall.

From Pyrrha Nikos' point of view, it took an eternity for gravity to do its work.

The moment the locker crashed, the doors were ripped apart as Pyrrha burst into action. She ran with all her strength. In less than ten seconds, she had already cleared four blocks. She needed to get to the tower. She needed to get to Jaune. She couldn't let him-

The tower fell.

Pyrrha's eyes widened as the massive dragon completely destroyed the tower, sending it crumbling down.

"No," she whispered, falling to her knees, all her strength gone. A tear fell from her eye.

Her scroll rang.

In her grief and rage, Pyrrha threw it away. Only by sheer luck did she spot the Caller ID as it hit the ground. It was a call from Jaune's scroll.

How?

The CCT was down. No. Pyrrha shook her head. That didn't matter. The CCT may be down, but the scroll-to-scroll local network should still work. Especially at this distance. Was it Jaune? Was he still alive? Or…

Pyrrha's face darkened.

Was this a call from his killer?

With trembling hands, Pyrrha reached out to pick the scroll. Swallowing, she hit the answer button.

Jaune's face popped into view.

"Pyrrha! Thank the Brothers you're safe! I'm so sorry about the locker. There weren't many choices back there and-."

"You're alive!"

Jaune looked at himself. He seemed to be running. "Yes? I mean, I ran into a couple of Beowolves, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"You didn't go into the tower?"

Jaune shot her an odd look. "No? Pyrrha, I didn't think you were going to survive going into that tower. Why on Remnant would I go in? I ran away the moment the locker took off."

Pyrrha flushed. "B-But Ozpin said-"

Jaune's face darkened. A tiny part of Pyrrha noted it wasn't a bad look on him. "Yeah, well, Ozpin also strapped you into some weird machine that hurt you. I am not exactly feeling a lot of love for the guy right now… may he rest in peace."

"But with the CTT gone, communication between the Kingdoms will be almost impossible!"

Jaune sighs. "Yeah, I get that, but…look, we both know I didn't sign up to become a Hunter for the best of reasons."

"Jaune," Pyrrha sighed. He always thought too little of himself. "That's not-"

"No, it's fine. I'm not beating myself down," Jaune reassured her. "It's just that… some people joined because they wanted to save people. I didn't. Not really. I joined Beacon because I didn't want to feel like a failure anymore. I thought that if I could be a hero like every other one of my ancestors, I would feel better about myself. That didn't happen."

Jaune's eyes met hers, and even through the scroll, Pyrrha felt her breath be taken away.

"It was you," Jaune said. "Getting into Beacon, unlocking my Aura. That wasn't what changed me. You believing in me did. You made me like myself. Meeting you, becoming friends with you is the best thing that ever happened to me. You, Ren, Nora, Ruby, everyone else. If I like myself now, it is because you all taught me there was something in me worth liking."

Jaune took a deep breath. Whether it was due to running or from unloading all that from his chest, Pyrrha didn't know. She also didn't know what she was supposed to say to that.

"I know bad things will happen without the CCT. I know a real hero should care about that. A real hero, someone like you or Ruby, would have gone into that tower. I'm not that guy. I know I should care, but I don't. Right now, I'm just happy you are alive. If I have to pick between you and the CCT, I will pick you every time. I don't care about what happens to the rest of the world. I care that you are safe."

"Huh." Jaune suddenly frowned. "The color's gone wonky. Seems like the scroll-to-scroll network took a hit. Anyway, I am running towards you as we speak. See you soon."

As Jaune ended the call, Pyrrha tried to calm herself down. The image had been working just fine. The problem was Pyrrha whose skin had gone neon red. Her heart was beating faster and harder than it ever had in any of her fights.

It would take a long time for the Invincible Girl to recover from such a strong critical hit.

* * *

 **AN: As far as ideas go, you can say this is another low-hanging fruit. What if Jaune discovered his Semblance during the Fall of Beacon? Again, seems like an obvious one, but I don't think I have seen anyone do it. I have seen plenty of 'Jaune dies in Pyrrha's place' or 'Jaune unlocks a super Semblance and wins', but never just plain 'He unlocks his canon Semblance and uses that.'**

 **Here, Jaune gives Pyrrha a total of 3 boosts of Aura Amplification. One to kill the dragon. Another to instantly recover from that and face Cinder with some buffs equipped. And a final one to recover her HP. I'll admit I am taking some liberties with his Semblance since we don't know the full details just yet.**

 **The Extra is there half to have fun and half to make up for the lack of Jaune in the main story. Being a healer is a thankless role. Also, telling the fight from Cinder's point of view felt like the best choice.**

 **Next time, we'll venture into more AU waters. Till then!**


	3. Maybe I am a Lion

**Let's go.**

* * *

 **Maybe I am a Lion**

* * *

Jaune Arc would be the first to admit he had made many boneheaded decisions throughout his life. There was the time he tried to start a campfire using Dust, the time his sisters asked him to go shopping with them, and he foolishly said yes. There was also the time his sisters convinced him glitter was a good look on him, and of course, the time in fifth grade he thought asking out Mean Chloe was a good idea. As it turned, the kids called her Mean Chloe for a reason.

So yeah, Jaune had done a lot of dumb things.

However, joining the White Fang topped the list by a very wide margin.

Maybe, just maybe, things would have turned out differently if Jaune hadn't been born the way he was. Maybe if he had just been another child of Jean and Marie Arc, things would have gone differently for him. Alas, he was Jaune Arc, the only illegitimate child of Jean Arc. Out of eight siblings, he was the only one with a tail.

Jaune's father, Jean Arc, was an amazing huntsman, one of the best. He traveled all over Remnant, slew Grimm, and saved people. He was a hero.

He also cheated on his wife.

To say Jaune had mixed feelings about his father would be an understatement.

As it turned out, being a huntsman could be a very stressful job, especially for those who worked outside the kingdoms. Going from mission to mission, killing Grimm, never quite knowing whether you were going to make it back home or not. It all piled up. Sometimes Jaune's father would be on a mission for weeks, sometimes more than a month. On nights where it all became too much, Jean Arc would seek comfort where he could find it, and there was no shortage of women willing to sleep with an attractive huntsman.

Jaune was the product of one of those nights.

He didn't know his birth mother. At least, he didn't remember her. All Jaune knew about her was that she managed to track his father down and dumped him on Jean. From what his older sisters told him, there had been one hell of a fight that day. There had been yelling and screaming. Weapons were drawn. Semblances were used. When it was all said and done, Jaune was accepted into the Arc household, and Jean Arc was literally chained to the couch for the following month.

A lesser woman would have taken out her anger on the child. Not Marie Arc. She raised Jaune as one of her own and grew to love him as such. Likewise, her daughters quickly warmed up to their newest sibling. Jaune was raised as an Arc. He learned about his family, about its history. He learned the Arc family had protected the people of Remnant for generations.

There were even history books that talked about his ancestors and their many accomplishments. How many of the kids at school that liked to pull his tail could claim that? Not one. That was how many. Jaune would be lying if he said he didn't find the whole thing awesome. He liked being part of that legacy.

However, he wasn't, not really. Jaune was an intruder. No matter how kind Marie was to him. No matter how much he considered her his mother. No matter how much he loved his sisters, he didn't belong, not really. His father's infidelity tainted him from the moment he was conceived. His tail more than proved that.

Maybe that was why Jaune sought his place elsewhere.

Maybe if Jaune had grown up in Vale or Vacuo, things would have been different. Unfortunately, Jaune grew up in Mistral. He grew up seeing small injustices done against the faunus every day. He saw them, and his heart rebelled against them. Wasn't standing up against injustice what the people of his family were supposed to do? Even if his dad was kind of a jerk, wasn't that a legacy worth upholding?

If the world was wrong, then surely fixing it was the right thing to do?

Ultimately, Jaune had been all too eager to leave his mark on the world, to do as his ancestors had. Too eager to find a place to call his own. That was why he was so easily convinced to join the White Fang. Well, that and a couple of other things.

Damn that cow faunus and her big… pamphlets.

Jaune was lured to a White Fang's rally. The speaker's rhetoric hit home with him. The crowd's enthusiasm had been contagious. Before he knew it, Jaune was putting on a stupid Grimm mask and cheering. In hindsight, it really had been the worst decision of his life.

Maybe if he hadn't been born a faunus. Maybe if his dad wasn't a womanizer. Maybe if he hadn't been raised in Mistral. Maybe if he hadn't been so damn stupid and eager to find his place in the world. Yeah, maybe if all those things weren't true, Jaune wouldn't be standing in front of Adam freaking Taurus.

But they were, and he was.

"Do you know why I have called you here today?" asked the most dangerous man in the White Fang.

Jaune took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It was not an easy task seeing as how he was alone with Adam in the dungeons of an actual castle. It was a leftover from the Great War the White Fang was now using as a hideout. There were many like it scattered outside the kingdoms. The war and the Grimm had done a number of it, but it was still habitable.

Truth be told, Jaune had some ideas as to why Adam summoned him. An attack on an SDC medical facility that had been foiled by an anonymous call to the police, a bomb that mysteriously failed to activate, and of course, all the money Jaune had been saving for a one-way ticket to Vacuo, money which he may or may not be discretely stealing from the White Fang's funds.

Still, there was no indication anyone had found out about that stuff. If Adam knew about it, he'd be already in chains or possibly in pieces. Right now, it was best if Jaune played dumb. It shouldn't be hard. His sisters always said playing dumb came naturally to him.

"N-No, s-sir. Not at all," Jaune said, quickly shaking his head. He couldn't stop the stutter, but that was fine. Lots of White Fang members got nervous around Adam. Most did it because they thought he was the coolest thing ever. An unfortunate minority did it because they had something resembling sense.

Adam held Jaune's gaze for one impossibly long second. At least, Jaune assumed he did. It was always hard to tell with the mask.

"Blake Belladonna has abandoned the White Fang." The words were delivered coldly, with just barely a hint of repressed anger. However, Adam might as well have drawn his sword and held it at Jaune's throat.

Jaune had heard some rumors but to have them confirmed like this? This was bad. No, this was horrible.

Jaune had never met Blake Belladonna, not formally. He had seen her once or twice around some of their bases, but that was it. They had never worked together. They hadn't even talked once. Still, Jaune knew exactly how important Blake Belladonna was.

While Blake did not hold a position of leadership in the White Fang, she was important by virtue of being the daughter of the former High Leader, Ghira Belladonna. Her presence in the White Fang after Ghira left had given Sienna's rule an added layer of legitimacy. It still did in some ways though Sienna had more than consolidated her position. However, the inner politics of the White Fang were not the reason why Jaune's skin had gone as white as paper.

Blake Belladonna was Adam's girlfriend.

Blake Belladonna was Adam's girlfriend, and she had left the White Fang, meaning she had also left Adam. Jaune was alone in a room with one of Remnant's most dangerous men who was now recently dumped.

This was not his day.

"…I-I had heard rumors. I n-never thought they'd be true." Word of mouth traveled fast in the White Fang. It was not exactly professional, but the White Fang wasn't the most professional of organizations to begin with.

According to the rumors, a job involving a shipment of Dust had gone wrong. In the aftermath, Blake had disappeared, and Adam had burned down the forest in his rage. Now that Jaune knew the part about Blake leaving was true, he was really hoping the part about Adam burning everything around him in a fit of rage was less than accurate.

"Unfortunately, it is not a rumor but reality. One of our most loyal has turned her back on the cause," Adam's fingers drifted closer to his sword. Jaune stiffened. "That is why I called you here."

"Me?" What on Remnant did Adam think he could do? He wasn't a tracker. He didn't know Blake. There was nothing he could do to help find her.

"You are one of our best infiltrators." There was not even a hint of praise in those words. Jaune considered it a win that Adam said it without any hostility.

While it was true Jaune was one of the best infiltrators the White Fang had at their disposal, it wasn't because he was some sort of super skilled ninja. Not even close.

"That is only due to my Semblance," Jaune said, before quickly adding, "sir."

There were many theories about Aura and Semblances, nearly all of them unconfirmed. Still, it didn't stop people from talking. According to some, a person's Semblance said a lot about the type of person he was. According to others, it said a lot about the type of person he wanted to become.

What then did Jaune's Semblance say about him when it gave him the ability to change into a human?

Jaune discovered his Semblance when he was nine. He had gotten lost in the lower levels of Mistral. A gang from the upper levels had come down, looking for some faunus to harass. It happened from time to time. Jaune had been so scared he hid in a trash can, praying they wouldn't find him. They hadn't.

When he came out, his tail was gone.

It took a lot of experimenting with his family to find out what happened. When Jaune activated his Semblance, all his faunus traits disappeared. Not just the noticeable ones like his tail, but also the not-so-noticeable ones like excellent night vision. There was no time limit to the change. Only activating his Semblance again could turn him back into a faunus.

After joining the White Fang, Jaune went through a couple more tests. Apparently, the change went all the way down to his blood. There was no test on Remnant that could reveal him as a faunus when he used his Semblance.

It made him perfect for the White Fang's needs.

"I am aware of that," Adam replied. "However, your Semblance's effectiveness cannot be denied. It allows you to access places our brethren cannot. Time and time again, you have proved yourself to the White Fang! You have gone where we needed you to go and provided the information we required."

Because he had been young and stupid.

"I know others look down on you due to your Semblance," Adam said, placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder. The gesture was probably meant to be reassuring, but all Jaune could think of was how close Adam's sword was at the moment. "However, I see the good you have done for the White Fang's glorious purpose. I see your worth. That is why I am confident you are perfect for this job. You are the only one I can trust with this, Jaune Arc. Upon your success, I will see to it that you receive the recognition you deserve! You have my word on that."

This was probably how Adam got so many fans, Jaune realized. It was not about the words. It was the passion with which he spoke them. It filled the room in an instant in a way that was almost suffocating, as if there was no choice but to let it smother you.

However, Jaune was not some green recruit or a catgirl. He had once seen a snake faunus bite a harmless Dust shop owner during a theft. The poison had been so bad the man's head turned into a swollen, purple thing within the minute. Jaune still remembered the man's screams.

After that, the White Fang's "glorious purpose" didn't seem so glorious anymore.

That was why Jaune was able to see past the praise and promises and zero-in on what was important.

"You already know where she is," Jaune realized. That was the only reason Adam would need him.

"I know Blake better than she knows herself," Adam said with all the confidence in the world. His lips curled into a satisfied smile. "A lesser person would hide in the middle of nowhere. However, my love will do no such thing. Blake will seek to make some sort of grand statement if only to herself. She can be melodramatic like that."

Jaune stared.

Who was Adam to call anyone melodramatic?

"She is planning on becoming a huntress. Beacon is the closest academy, and an informant of ours already confirmed her presence in Vale. Your job will be to observe her. Using your Semblance, you will be able to approach and observe Blake without making her suspicious."

Jaune winced. Adam made an annoyingly good point. In human form, Blake would never suspect him of being part of the White Fang. At worst, he would come across as a creepy stalker, and that was only if he messed up. That was an advantage other members of the White Fang didn't have. They might be able to wear hats to hide their ears or baggy pants to disguise their tails, but that didn't come close to being fully human.

Jaune needed to figure out a way to turn down the mission without directly addressing that issue or angering Adam, and he needed to do it fast. His trip to Vacuo got further away the longer this conversation got.

"Sir," Jaune said, tugging his collar. "I understand why you want me to do this but getting inside Beacon would be really difficult. It's not like applying for some low-paying job at one of the SDC's factories. Who even knows if they are hiring right now?"

Adam smiled.

It wasn't a good smile.

"Jaune," he said. "I don't expect you to go to Beacon as some random worker."

Jaune froze.

"You want me to go… as a student?" Jaune pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Why not? You have received training, have you not?" Adam said. "If the humans who enjoy pampered lifestyles inside the kingdoms can pass the initiation, why wouldn't one of our own be capable of it? Our brothers and sisters in Vale have already procured the services of a skilled forger for your transcripts."

It was amazing how confident Adam could sound in his own plans. He spoke as if there really was nothing to worry about.

It was true Jaune had received training. The older members of the White Fang were veterans of the Faunus War. They had their auras unlocked and years of combat experience. They were too old to fight anymore but not too old to train others. Members who had been with the White Fang long enough received basic training from them. Members who had potential received particularly grueling training.

Jaune had sadly been deemed as someone with potential.

Jaune knew how to fight even if he had never quite gotten the hang of what Baloo called "the bare necessities of life." He had even fought Grimm in the past. Jaune figured that if he pushed himself, he could probably beat the students of some combat schools.

Of course, that didn't really matter. There were plenty of people who went to combat schools and still failed to enter a Huntsman Academy. In fact, there were more than a hundred combat schools training hopeful would-be huntresses and huntsmen and only four Academies. That was how difficult entering any Academy was.

And yet, Jaune knew that if he pointed any of this out, Adam would completely dismiss it.

"I understand, sir." Jaune wanted to sigh. He really did. "Assuming it goes as planned, am I supposed to capture Blake and bring her to the nearest base?"

It was something Jaune wasn't looking forward to. Blake had done what he had been wanting to do for a long time now. Dragging her back to save his own skin would be one hell of a dick move. Also, she'd probably kick his ass. Jaune may have some training, but Blake was the one who regularly fought alongside the strongest fighter in the White Fang.

"You do not have to do anything at all. Your job is to observe her without raising suspicions. Nothing more." Adam seemed to notice Jaune's confusion, because he added, "While normally I would like nothing more than to be reunited with my love, I have important matters to attend to. All I need is that you keep an eye on Blake while she is at Beacon. Make sure she remains there."

Well, there went his last round of objections. Provided he passed Beacon's initiation–and Jaune was going to try his best because Adam would have his head if he failed–he would be doing this mission for the foreseeable future and…

Wait.

Jaune blinked.

Why was this a bad thing?

If Jaune passed the initiation, then that was it. Nearly all his problems would be solved. Beacon was one of the safest places on Remnant. Assuming everything went well, Jaune would gain a huntsman's license in four years. In the meantime, the only thing he needed to do was send the occasional report saying Blake was still at Beacon. That was it. Hell, he could probably quit the White Fang from Beacon.

What was the White Fang going to do about it?

Attack a Huntsman Academy?

"Understood. You can trust me with this job, sir," Jaune said, trying to solemn.

Adam smiled and extended his hand. "Please, call me Adam."

With hidden motives in their minds, the two shook hands.

* * *

 _Jean Arc: Jaune's name was originally meant to be Jean (as in blue jeans). I used that name for his father here._

 _Marie Arc: In this case, Marie's name is directly derived from Maris, meaning sea. It only works as a color if you assume Latin exists on Remnant, but half the names in the show rely on a language other than English existing._

 _Baloo: Means bear. If Qrow counts as a color so does bear._

* * *

 **AN: How much can you change a character's circumstances before it stops being that character? It's something to think about with AUs. Imagine a world where Summer made her move before Raven, or maybe a world where Raven wasn't the worst mom ever (too unrealistic, I know) and stayed with Tai, or a world where the Nuck never attacked Kuroyuri. An older Ruby, a Yang that never had to take care of a little sister, a Ren that grows up a happy, normal child. That's obviously going to have repercussions on them, but you still kind of want to keep an intrinsic part of who the characters are untouched.**

 **In canon, Jaune's feelings of inadequacy, the gap between who he is and the family standards he feels he has to live up to, push him to enter Beacon with fake transcripts. Here, his father's infidelity and being a faunus push Jaune to try to find his path elsewhere. Sadly, he ends up with the White Fang. Unlike Blake who was with the White Fang from the start and didn't realize how far they had fallen until it was too late, Jaune would be someone who went in thinking he could do some good and realized he had signed up for a terrorist organization. This would play a part in their respective attitudes towards the White Fang through the story.**

 **The main team for this story would be** **WABN (Weiss, Jaune, Blake, and Pyrra). Jaune wants to keep a low profile, so naturally he ends up in the most high-profile team possible. The Heiress to the SDC, a four-time Mistral Regional Champion, and the daughter of the Chieftain of Menagerie.**

 **The other reason for these members would be to actually try to explore the themes of prejudice in the show. All four characters lend themselves well to it. Pyrrha has fame and status but with that comes isolation as everyone is quick to place her on a pedestal. Weiss was born into privilege but bears the burden of what her father has done to the Schnee name and the enmity she has earned from the faunus and other people as a result. Blake's deal goes without saying.**

 **Meanwhile, Jaune would be someone who, due to his Semblance, is in an odd position where he can cross the line between human and faunus. One plot point for this would be Jaune reaching a point where he wonders whether he is a faunus who can change into a human or a human who can change into a faunus. For all anyone knows, he could have first used his Semblance as a baby.**

 **Anyway, I'm rambling now. Although I think I'll take some time to go a bit in depth on each idea from now on. Yeah, I'll probably do that.**

 **Till next time!**


	4. Individual System

**Did anyone say crossover?**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Gray Rook fought the urge to yawn as he saw yet another applicant battle against a combat droid.

Once upon a time, the Atlesian Knight 45 (AK-45 for short) had been top of the line equipment. However, times changed, and technology moved forward. Now, the AK-45 was relegated to testing the skills of teenagers in combat schools all over Atlas.

As one of Atlas' top 3 combat schools, Hyades Academy was no different. In fact, due to receiving quite a bit of funding from the military, Hyades Academy could afford to use AK-45s as part of their entrance exam. Applicants were made to fight against the combat droid on one-on-one matches while a panel of judges watched their performance in a separate room and graded them.

Naturally, those who defeated the droid received high grades, but victory was not necessary for a passing grade. Judges looked not only for fighting skill, but also adaptability, a cool head in stressful situations, and resourcefulness.

The current applicant showed none of those things.

Rook sought refuge in his coffee to avoid having to watch the blond applicant try and fail to dodge the droid's strikes. Pitiful. The thing was even set on the lowest difficulty. If he were a judge, Rook would have already failed him. However, that wasn't his job.

Rook was a Specialist.

In Atlas, the military worked closely not only with its Huntsman Academy but also with the multiple combat schools all over the kingdom. Hyades was no exception. Rook's job was to keep an eye out for any promising talent and pass the information to his superiors, so they may be taken into consideration. All thing considered, it was a rather simple job.

It was also a very tedious one.

Watching untrained and half-trained teenagers fighting was painful. Watching kids who thought they were hot shit because they could beat a droid or two was even worse. Out of sheer boredom, Rook took a look at the current applicant's other test scores. What he found was average from start to finish. Knowledge Assessment. Average. Physical Assessment. Average. Combat Assessment. In-Progress. Aura Assessment. O-

Rook spat his coffee all over the desk, barely managing to get his scroll out of the way in time.

The act drew the attention of the judges. Rook hurriedly raised his hand to assure them he was fine while trying to get his coughing under control. His eyes quickly went back to his scroll. There was no way. It couldn't be possible. Jaune Arc was an untrained teen whose aura was obviously still locked. A scrawny little thing like that couldn't possibly have that type of results.

Yet that was what his screen displayed.

Rook frowned. The science of Aura was complicated and best left to those with bigger brains than him. However, even he understood the basics.

The technology to measure someone's Aura had been born in Atlas. It was a great scientific breakthrough at the time and led to the creation of Aura meters which were immediately put to use in the Vytal Festival. In the old days, only special arenas could display Aura meters, but with time, the technology had grown smaller and easier to manufacture. Nowadays, it was as easy as having the right type of scroll.

However, that was only true for those whose Aura was already unlocked. Measuring the Aura of someone whose Aura was still locked was a completely different game.

In fact, until about a year ago, it had been impossible. The technology had been created by Atlas and was still in its testing stages. That meant only the military, Atlas Academy, and a few combat schools in the kingdom had access to it. Combat schools outside Atlas would have had no way of seeing Jaune Arc's latent aura.

Had they been able to, Jaune Arc would not be here right now.

When it came to Aura, there were only three things that mattered: capacity, control, and Semblance.

Of those three, only control could be reliably improved. Even in cases of extreme ineptitude, the basics of Aura manipulation could be taught in a few years. Meanwhile, increasing a person's Aura capacity was not something that could be reliably done. According to studies done by Atlas, a person's Aura would grow only by about 25% over the first decade of training and usually stop after that.

Semblances were in an even worse position. While there were many theories on the subject, most studies were inconclusive. In the end, it all came down to luck. Some people had Semblances that were naturally suited for combat. Some people had Semblances with limited combat applications. Some people, even among Huntsmen, just never discovered their Semblances. It was rare, but it happened.

That meant sheer Aura capacity was the most attractive trait in a prospective Huntsman. The skill could be taught. The knowledge could be imparted. The Semblance was a roll of the dice. However, the Aura one started with and the Aura one ended with would remain largely the same.

As Rook looked over Jaune's application papers, he could see that Jaune had applied to combat schools in Vale and had been rejected. Had they realized just how much aura he had, they would have accepted him right away.

It was a good thing for Atlas they did not have the technology to do so, Rook realized.

However, Hyades did have those resources.

The Specialist snuck a peek at the other judges. They looked as bored by the fight as he had been a few seconds ago. In time, they would check Jaune Arc's other scores, and they would realize the depths of his Aura. If that happened, Jaune Arc would be accepted into Hyades. He would train and grow like any other student and eventually go to Atlas Academy.

Rook couldn't let that happen.

No visible training and substantial Aura reserves. It was precisely what the guys in R&D were looking for. There was no doubt in his mind. Jaune Arc was the perfect candidate for the project. Rook looked at his scroll. All he needed to do was push a button. Jaune Arc's profile would be sent to his superiors. His admission process would be halted. He would receive an invitation which he would most likely accept out of desperation if his application history was any indication.

Rook once again looked at the small blonde kid getting his ass kicked by a droid. According to his papers, he was fifteen. He looked much younger than that. He probably wasn't even five feet tall.

 _Sorry, kid._

Rook pushed the button.

xXx

 **Two Years Later**

Under the cover of midnight, a group of White Fang grunts made their way inside an SDC warehouse. Coming here had been a risk, but the tip passed to them by one of their informants had been too juicy to ignore. Indeed, it seemed their daring was being rewarded. The warehouse was full of large crates of Dust. Tomorrow, the shipment was supposed to leave for Mistral. Now, however, all that Dust was right in front of them and ready to be taken.

"Alright," their leader, a large faunus wielding a chainsaw, said. "Start loading the bullhead. We have fifteen minutes before anyone notices we took down security. Once those fifteen minutes are up, we arm the bomb and leave."

While the man many called Banesaw would like nothing more than to take all the Dust in the warehouse, that was just not feasible. Even if they had the time for it, they did not have the resources. The bullhead they brought was too small to load up all the Dust.

Besides, taking the Dust was not the main goal of the mission. Certainly, the Dust would be a welcome boon and help fund their operations. However, the real purpose of this mission was to hurt the SDC. Blowing up all this Dust would make the SDC lose a lot of money. It was not as satisfying as having Jacques Schnee's throat between his hands would be, but every little bit helped.

"How are things going outside?" Banesaw asked as he held up his radio. He blinked under his mask when he received no answer. "Fang 3, this is Fang 1. Respond."

Silence.

Banesaw frowned. He hadn't brought rookies who would be dumb enough to fall asleep on the job or forget their radios. Something wasn't right.

"You and you," he called out, pointing at two of the people working to load up the Dust. "Go find out what happened to our lookouts. Keep your radios on."

The two nodded and moved to follow his orders. Two tense minutes followed as Banesaw waited for their report. Then he heard it. Gunfire.

"Report!" He growled into his radio.

"It's here!" Came the quick reply from the other end. "We've got to leave! It's-"

The signal cut off. Nothing but static remained.

"Forget the Dust!" Banesaw roared. "Arm the bomb. We're getting out right no-"

At that moment, the back door was blown open.

"Shoot!" Never one slow to action, the order left Banesaw's mouth immediately. The grunts took hold of their weapons and unloaded everything they had. Over a minute of loud, continuous gunfire followed. A cloud of dust rose up. Silence followed as they all waited to see if that had been enough.

Footsteps echoed across the warehouse as a lone figure walked out of the smoke.

Banesaw swore. Of all the damn places, for that thing to be here!

It was well over six feet tall. The main body was black but had white, armored plates attached to its legs, chest, and arms, forming greaves, a breastplate, and gauntlets. In some ways, it was reminiscent of a knight of olden days. Its head was round and colored in blue and white. A black visor surrounded by gold took over most of its face, weirdly managing to look like a crown. A gold and white gun was holstered at its side.

"IXA," Banesaw hissed.

Out of all the fucking horrible things created by Atlas' scientists, IXA had to be the fucking worst as far as Banesaw was concerned.

IXA was Atlas' newest toy, the latest in military droid design, and it showed. The IXA unit fought on an entirely different level compared to previous androids. Luckily for the White Fang, only one IXA unit existed. The technology used to make it had not yet reached the mass-production state. Unfortunately, Atlas was entirely willing to lend their one IXA unit to Jacques Schnee in order to protect his precious Dust if it meant a price reduction for them. The hypocrites.

"You are all found to be in breach of Atlas Law. Surrender now, and your sentences may be lessened."

Banesaw felt a shiver go down his spine as he heard that voice. That was another creepy thing about IXA. The droid did not speak with the same robotic voice other droids did. Instead, IXA spoke with a voice that sounded uncomfortably human.

It was damn creepy. However, he couldn't let that stop him.

"Surrender?" Banesaw hoisted up his chainsaw. "I don't think that's going to happen. In fact, I'm going to have to apologize to Adam next time I see him. He was so looking forward to a rematch."

It had honestly been kind of weird to see Adam obsessed with something beyond the White Fang's cause and Blake Belladonna.

"You cannot win," IXA said. The machine raised its gun.

"You underestimate the faunus, machine!" Banesaw roared as he charged in with his chainsaw. IXA's gun fired. Banesaw moved to dodge but realized he didn't have to. The sound of the engines being hit told him why a moment later.

The bullhead!

Banesaw didn't need to turn around to confirm it. He knew IXA had just shot the bullhead. There was no way the others could escape with the Dust now. That stupid machine!

IXA firing at the bullhead allowed Banesaw to get close. The large faunus roared as he slashed down. However, IXA brought his weapon up in time to block. As he did so, the gun seamlessly changed into a sword. Sparks flew as the two weapons clashed. Banesaw's eyes widened behind his mask.

People tended to think he was just a guy who had grabbed a random chainsaw to use as a weapon. That could not be further from the truth. The chainsaw he used was specially made. It wasn't for felling trees. It was for cutting droids in half even without being reinforced by Aura. The people who underestimated his weapon tended to pay the price.

Yet it had just been blocked by a single sword. Not parried. Blocked. Banesaw frowned. Just how much money had Atlas put into this thing?

The large man grunted as he tried to push IXA back. However, no matter how much he strained his muscles, he could not make the armored knight budge. Instead, it was IXA who pushed forward and forced him back. The droid followed with a thrust from his sword. Banesaw barely had time to bring his chainsaw up to parry.

Again and again, their weapons met. With each clash, sparks flew, and Banesaw was forced back yet another step. IXA was wearing him down bit by bit with machine-like efficiency. For a moment, Banesaw wondered why no one was helping him. The question answered itself as IXA came at him with speed he had previously only seen from Adam.

There was absolutely no way a couple of grunts could even get close to this fight. Even trying to shoot at IXA right now was dangerous. It had been one thing when he had just come in through the back door, but now a missed shot would risk igniting the Dust.

"Damn it!" Banesaw yelled as IXA's sword connected with his side. Only his aura saved him, but it was starting to run low. He made a last desperate charge at the robot.

IXA dodged.

The droid's knuckles collided with Banesaw an instant later. The hit hurt, but not unreasonably so. Then Banesaw heard it.

 **IXA Knuckle – Rise Up!**

Burning light filled Banesaw's vision, and he knew no more.

xXx

In the depths of a very secret military lab, a real girl greeted her first friend.

"Friend Jaune!"

Jaune braced himself as the flying form of Penny Polendina collided with him the second he entered the lab. Once upon a time, the impact would have been enough to knock him over. Nowadays, he was strong enough to catch the girl in a hug. He still needed to be ready for it, though. Jaune may be taller and broader than Penny, but she weighted way more than any girl her size had a right to. Some girls were made with flesh and blood. Penny was made with metals of varying densities.

Jaune could probably save himself some trouble by pointing this out to Penny, but you didn't go around telling a girl she was heavy. That was just common sense.

"Hi, Penny!" Jaune said, patting her head. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I have been playing chess against the computer for the past few days," Penny said, letting Jaune go. "I have experienced an 80% growth in skill. Although I must say, the computer does not make for particularly good company. It does not make funny faces like you when you lose."

Jaune winced.

He knew Penny didn't mean anything bad with those words. Still, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Jaune was one of the few people that was even allowed to see Penny let alone talk to her. Of those, he was the only one who had gone ahead and told her they were friends.

Penny had been ecstatic when those words left his lips. Since then, Jaune always made sure to make time for Penny. Thankfully, Professor Polendina and General Ironwood saw no issues with letting Penny indulge in normal friend activities. Sure, Jaune couldn't hold a candle to Penny when it came to chess or just about any other game, but that didn't matter because what Penny really enjoyed was spending time with her friend.

Whenever Jaune left on a mission, Penny was left alone.

Unlike him, she couldn't leave the base. Jaune didn't like it. Professor Polendina didn't like it. Heck, even General Ironwood didn't like it. However, they all understood why that was the case. Penny was too important and too unprepared to be allowed in the outside world just yet. It was still not safe. Few things could hurt Penny physically, but that was not the issue.

The issue was that Penny was a teenage girl with the body of an unstoppable machine. She was still learning how to behave in society without standing out too much. Until she did, it was dangerous to let her go out. Jaune understood this.

It still made Jaune feel like a heel whenever he had to leave her for days.

"Tell you what? Once I'm done with my report, we can go play some games." And by play, Jaune meant that Penny would kick his ass in whatever game he chose, and they would have a big laugh about it. Penny was way too good at things she technically wasn't programmed for. Professor Polendina had been ecstatic when he found out how quickly Penny could pick up games. They had spent the whole week testing that out.

Penny's face lit up like the sun. "Truly? That would be sensational, Friend Jaune! Oh, we can have a sleepover!"

Jaune grimaced. "I don't think Professor Polendina would like that." The man could be scarily overprotective of his daughter. "Speaking of, where is he? I am supposed to give my report to him."

"Oh, Father is over there," Penny said, nodding to the side. It was only then that Jaune noticed Professor Polendina had been there the entire time. The short, balding man was hunched over a computer. Now that he was paying attention, Jaune could hear the sound of his fingers hitting the keyboard.

"Father," Penny said. "Jaune is here to see you."

"In a moment sweetie. Daddy is looking at the two Brothers in the eyes and showing them how it is done."

Not once did the man look up. Penny looked at Jaune and gave him what could almost be called a shrug. Jaune sighed. The man never changed. When Professor Polendina was working, the rest of the world might as well not exist.

"Oh, well." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "He's going to be there for a while. I guess we can go play something now if you want."

"Sensational!" Penny brought her hands together in a clap. "Oh! We can play Twister! I have always wanted to play Twister!"

"Never mind! I'm done!" Professor Polendina suddenly jumped off his chair, taking the time to shoot Jaune a warning glare. Jaune rolled his eyes. Seriously, the man was way too overprotective. Jaune didn't even see Penny like that. She was like a little sister to him. Besides, it wasn't like anything could happen. Sure, Penny was a real girl, but she wasn't that anatomically correct.

Was she?

No. Bad brain. Shut up.

"I've already looked over IXA's files, so there is no need for a written report," Professor Polendina said, making Jaune feel annoyed for having already written it. Still, it was for the best. Ironwood would get on his case if he didn't follow regulation. "I should congratulate you on another job well done, but from the start, there was no way mere terrorists could stand up to the might of my IXA."

Professor Polendina laughed. Unfortunately, the man had a notoriously creepy laugh. Jaune had gotten used to it, but he really wished the man didn't sound so much like a mad scientist. Jaune bit his tongue to avoid bringing up that one time a terrorist had come pretty close to wrecking IXA. That had not been a fun day for anyone, except maybe for Adam Taurus.

"All I need is for you to tell me your impression on the upgrades we made to IXA," Professor Polendina told Jaune while pointing at the transformation belt.

An average person would only be able to tell Jaune was wearing a white belt with an unusually large black and gold belt buckle. It didn't mesh well with his white and grey Atlas uniform, but it was far from the weirdest thing a Huntsman-in-training had ever worn. Meanwhile, a Huntsman would be able to spot the signs of a mecha-shift mechanism right away.

Less than fifteen people knew exactly what the belt did.

When Jaune had received a letter from Atlas Academy two years ago requesting a meeting, he had been confused. When he had been told Atlas wanted him to be part of a secret project, he thought they were messing with him. When he had been presented with a suit that looked like a mix between a robot and a medieval knight, well, that had been the coolest thing ever.

"The suit felt lighter than usual." Jaune closed his eyes and did his best to remember the fight with Banesaw. Being IXA was always a rush, but this time, he had felt extra fast. "I felt like I could move more freely than usual. Wearing the suit also didn't tire me out as much."

"Good. Good," Professor Polendina said as he took down some notes.

In many ways, IXA could be said to be Penny's older sibling. It worked as a testbed for much of the technology that had later been put to use in building Penny. However, it was not just that. The IXA suit was, as General Ironwood once told him, the next step in Huntsmen development. When Jaune wore it, all his physical abilities were magnified. The suit also added to the protection already provided by his aura, and its weapons were top of the line.

Mass production was still a long way off. There were many bugs in the suit to be worked out which was why Jaune was needed as the test pilot. Once that was done, the Grimm would not know what hit them. Until then, however, all the public needed to know about IXA was that it was a very advanced robot and nothing more.

"Were there any problems with overheating?" The scientist asked. "According to the data, you stayed in Safe Mode for the entire fight."

Jaune blinked. "Ah, that. No. There were no overheating issues this time. It's just, well, we were surrounded by Dust."

"And?" Professor Polendina prompted.

"And changing to Burst Mode releases a big wave of heat all around me that could have easily ignited the Dust," Jaune explained flatly.

"Eh, you'd have survived a Dust explosion without trouble." Professor Polendina waved a hand as if brushing off something unimportant, and to Professor Polendina, it really was unimportant. He wasn't a bad man. He just had some serious tunnel vision regarding certain things, his creations chief among them.

"That's not what I-" Jaune closed his mouth. "Whatever. Is there any way to make it so I can switch modes without releasing a giant heat wave?"

"Of course, there is!" Professor Polendina scoffed as if he found the very question insulting.

"Then can we-"

"However, that would not look cool at all!"

Jaune's shoulders sagged in defeat. Of course. What else had he been expecting? Penny came equipped with twenty floating swords that shot lasers, and contrary to popular opinion, it had not been Ironwood's idea to put them there. Professor Polendina had done that all on his own. Hell, the guy made IXA an acronym because he thought it was cooler that way, and he had yet to come up with something for it to stand for.

"It is all about the cool factor, you see," Professor Polendina told him as if he was imparting some deep wisdom on him. "There is a perfectly scientific reason for it. When something is cool-"

The explanation was mercifully cut off by multiple beeps from his computer. Professor Polendina moved to check it. "Penny, Jaune, please come here. I believe this call is for you."

Penny and Jaune trade confused glances, but nevertheless, moved to stand beside Professor Polendina. The aged scientist hit a button and a screen popped up. In it, there was a face Jaune knew all too well.

"General Ironwood, sir!" Jaune said, snapping into a perfect salute. By now, the motion was automatic. Winter Schnee had made sure of that.

"At ease, soldier," Ironwood said. Only then did Jaune allow himself to relax. "I had a feeling I would find you here."

"Is it another security mission, sir?" Jaune asked. By security mission, Jaune meant if it would be another mission where he was loaned to the SDC. He did not mind fighting against the White Fang but having to pretend he was a robot when interacting with SDC personal was a bit annoying sometimes.

"Nothing of the sort." Ironwood smiled. "This is a mission of a different kind. A mission for you both."

Both?

Jaune looked at Penny. Penny looked at Jaune.

"General, does that mean…?" Penny pointed at herself, unsure.

"Yes, it does, Penny." Ironwood nodded. His smile grew kinder. "It is finally time for you to go to the outside world."

"I… can go…outside…" The sheer multitude of emotions that passed through Penny's face at that moment was astonishing. She looked at her father. "Father, is it okay? Is it really okay?"

The mix of hope and fear in her face was enough to make Jaune feel like someone had punched him in the gut. It was a reminder of how isolated Penny had been since her creation. He couldn't begin to imagine how Ironwood and Polendina were feeling right now.

"It is okay, Penny," the aged scientist said in a surprisingly gentle tone. His wrinkled face smiled. "Ironwood already talked to me about this. It is time, daughter. You shine too brightly to keep you in this dark, dingy lab."

For a moment, Penny went perfectly still.

"This.. is…SENSATIONAL!" The girl cried as she caught an unprepared Jaune in the mother of all bear hugs. "Did you hear, Friend Jaune? We are going outside! We can shop and order food! Oh, we can go to an arcade! I have always wanted to go to an arcade!"

"…that's… great…" Jaune managed to get out. It was a little hard with Penny squeezing all the oxygen out of his lungs.

"Let the boy breathe, Penny. I need you two to calm down. Remember, this will be a mission," Ironwood's voice cut in. Nevertheless, he sounded amused. Penny let go of Jaune. The two stood ready to receive their orders.

"As you know, the Vytal Tournament will be this year. I want you both to participate."

"We'll be competing as students?" Jaune asked. Technically, he and Penny were both registered as students of Atlas Academy, even if neither one went to class.

"Penny will be participating as a student. I already have a team in mind for her," Ironwood said before his gaze slid over to Jaune. "You will be participating as IXA."

"Is that… is that allowed?" Jaune asked nervously. As far as he knew, the tournament was reserved for students of the four Huntsmen Academies and no one else.

"Usually not. However, I managed to convince the other Kingdoms to make an exception this time. There are many who wish to see how IXA performs against Huntsmen-in-training."

So no pressure or anything. Jaune laughed nervously.

"It should go without saying, but I expect you both to perform your best. It is not an exaggeration to say your victory can have a great impact on the future of humanity."

Jaune's laugh died a slow, awkward death.

"And Jaune?" Jaune barely managed a sound in reply. "Do you remember what I promised you the day we met? After the tournament is over, I believe the time will be right."

Jaune gasped.

Of course, he remembered. How could he forget? Ironwood's promise to him had been one of the main reasons why he agreed to be part of the IXA project. Ironwood had told him that if he showed results and when the time was right, he would make him a Hunstman.

Now, that time was less than a year away.

Jaune Arc was going to become a Hunstman.

"I… Thank you, sir!" Jaune saluted.

"You have more than earned it," Ironwood told him. "I will send the exact details of the mission to your scrolls. For now, rest and prepare."

Once Ironwood cut the transmission, Penny and Jaune looked at each other.

"Penny?"

"Yes, Friend Jaune?"

"We're going to win this."

Penny nodded with a big smile on her face and her fists clenched in front of her. "We are combat ready!"

Damn right, they were.

* * *

 **AN: When you think about it, this really didn't need to be a Kamen Rider Crossover. It could have easily been Atlas inventing a random power suit that Jaune uses. That said, I really like the design of IXA. Its colors and Knight motif really work with Jaune. It also looks like something that could come out of Atlas.**

 **Since this is a one-shot, I skipped straight to the good stuff with Jaune already having experienced a lot. A hypothetical full version of the story would take its time with things. Jaune being introduced to the project, being trained, getting the suit, meeting Winter, first encounters with the White Fang, meeting Penny and all that stuff. Basically, the story would spend a lot of time in Atlas before moving to Vale. I also think I'd try to use Merlot for this. Gotta have an evil scientist that sends monsters.**

 **On a separate note, readers may have noticed Rook says** **15-years-old Jaune is not even 5 feet tall. I like to imagine Jaune as a really late bloomer, this really adorably shrimpy thing that suddenly turns 6-foot something. It amuses me. Speaking of adorable though, writing this gave me new appreciation for how precious Penny is.**

 **Last note, Hyades is the name of a sisterhood of nymphs who were daughters of Atlas. Seemed like a good name for a combat school there.**

 **Till next time!**


	5. Alcohol is Humanity's Friend

**And the rating goes up. Just in case.**

* * *

 **Alcohol is Humanity's Friend**

* * *

Consciousness returned to Blake accompanied by a pounding headache.

She tried to open her eyes but found herself too drowsy to do so. Blake frowned as the smell of alcohol, sweat, and something else hit her nose. The girl turned around in her bed, hoping to escape the smell.

She bumped into something. Someone gasped.

It wasn't her.

Slowly, very slowly, Blake opened her eyes.

Jaune Arc's very wide, very panicked eyes stared right back at her.

Time stopped. The two teenagers froze as their minds struggled to comprehend the situation. For a moment, there was silence, utterly perfect stillness. However, it could not last forever. Time resumed with pulling, pushing, and half-finished sounds that never got the chance to become words. Someone screamed like a little girl. Blake was pretty sure it wasn't her.

At some point during the chaos, Blake realized that not only was Jaune naked but so was she. Jaune seemed to realize it at the same time as she did because his face turned as red as his partner's hair.

"Wait!" Blake said at last. By then, Jaune was on the floor with only a pillow protecting his modesty while Blake was on the bed with her back against the wall, a lone sheet held against her naked chest.

"Wait," she repeated before anything else could happen. She took a deep breath. "Let's calm down and think for a second."

Jaune did, or at least, he stopped moving. He still very much looked like a cornered animal about to run at any second. Regardless, some semblance of peace returning to the room gave Blake the opportunity to take in all the details she hadn't noticed before.

For one, she wasn't in her room back at Beacon. There were no bunk beds anywhere to be found, no rose petals littering the floor, and none of those posters Yang liked to put up. Instead, Blake was in a plain room with one bed and one bathroom, most likely a motel of some kind.

Her body was sweaty and sore in various places.

She and Jaune were naked.

Had she… had they… Blake clenched her eyes shut and reminded herself to breathe.

"What happened?"

Blake was not expecting Jaune to answer, but he did anyway.

"T-There…there was a party, I think," Jaune said. His eyes were looking at everything in the room but Blake. "We all went out to Vale."

With those words, Blake started to remember.

"Right. Yang came up with the idea."

It was the last weekend before the new semester started. Yang and Ruby had gone to Patch for the break but had returned early. Yang wanted to do something special before classes began, so she had talked them into a night out. The blonde claimed she knew all the best places. It had started out as a Team RWBY activity, but Nora had gotten wind of it. She and Yang had started talking, and the rest was history.

"We went to a club." Jaune was holding his head. "There was dancing. I remember dancing. Then we started to drink."

"I remember," Blake said. As it turned out, Jaune was an amazing dancer. He and Yang had somehow gotten into a dance-off which he had won. Yang had taken a shot of whiskey as punishment. "After that…"

After that, things started to get… weird.

Yang did not hold her liquor well. One shot was all it took for her to start slurring her words and giggling at everything and anything. By itself, that wouldn't have been so bad, but somehow, a drunk Yang Xiao Long was more dangerous than a sober one. Blake still didn't know how she had convinced everyone to drink so much, but she had.

In less than an hour, Weiss was in the middle of a spirited conversation with an empty chair, Jaune was challenging anyone who came close to him to any competition he could think of while looking more confident than Blake had ever seen him, and Ruby was grouchy and calling everyone lightweights. Then…

"We were going back to Beacon," Jaune said, snapping his fingers. "We had way too much to drink, so we had to call a cab."

"Right." Blake nodded. The motion made her a bit woozy. "There was not enough room for all of us. We sent Yang, Ren, Nora, and Ruby first."

"Yeah, we had to call another cab just for the two of us. Then… Then…"

 _"Thish ish boring!"_

 _"I knooows…Heyyy, woushdn't it be hilarioush if we like… you know!"_

 _"I knowsh!"_

The slurred words came unbidden to Blake's mind. She couldn't remember who said what, but she couldn't deny they had been said. Judging by Jaune's wide eyes, he was remembering as well. The question. The answer. The sloppy kisses that followed.

Asking the driver to take them to the nearest motel.

"Oh." The tiny sound escaped Blake's mouth. Her faced burned with mortification. Of course, what else had she been expecting? She should have realized it the moment she noticed their nakedness. What else could that smell be?

They had sex.

Jaune looked as lost as she felt. "I… we…it happened, didn't it? I'm not remembering wrong or anything, right?"

Not trusting herself to speak. Blake nodded. To her surprise, Jaune chuckled. It wasn't a happy sound by any means. If anything, it was surprisingly bitter coming from the leader of Team JNPR. "My first time and I don't even remember it… great."

Blake pulled the bedsheet tighter around her body. "It was my first time too."

"Oh."

While many in the White Fang would be surprised to hear it, her relationship with Adam had never quite progressed to that point. At first, it had been because she was too young. Even though Blake had been willing to cross that threshold with him back then, it was Adam, surprisingly, who had pointed out the importance of waiting for the right time.

By the time Blake fully blossomed into a woman, it had been Adam's growing mental instability that kept them apart as their arguments over his methods became more frequent. Simply put, the right time had never come.

Now, she had her first time with Jaune Arc, someone she knew but rarely talked with. Not a friend or a lover, but an acquaintance. It was preferable to what Adam had become, but still not quite what Blake had been expecting.

An oppressing silence fell on the room as both struggled to process what had happened between them.

"I think," Blake said at last, "that we should pretend this didn't happen. It doesn't need to change anything between us. Anything that happened in this room doesn't need to leave it. It is best if we just forget about it."

There. That was the most practical way to settle this. If what they had done got out of this room, things would only get complicated. Yang would tease them mercilessly. Pyrrha would… Blake didn't want to imagine what she would do.

Besides, it wasn't like she and Jaune were about to start a relationship or anything just because something like this happened. It was just a drunken one-night stand, a silly mistake born from too much alcohol. Nothing more. There was no need to let something like this make things awkward. Jaune should be able to understand that. Blake honestly believed that.

Which was why Blake was completely surprised by the pained look that appeared on Jaune's face.

It took her a few seconds to understand his reaction. When Blake did, she wanted to kick herself. Of course. What guy would like to be asked to keep his first time a secret by the girl he just had sex with? It could easily be interpreted as the girl being ashamed of him.

Even a confident person risked getting his ego bruised, and Jaune was very much not a confident man. Blake knew that much about him. He had probably jumped straight into the worst possible interpretation of her words. Blake opened her mouth to try to explain herself better when Jaune spoke up.

"So, anything that happens in this room, we don't talk about it ever again?" Jaune asked. The use of present tense confused Blake, but still, she nodded.

"Then…" Jaune opened and closed his mouth multiple times, struggling to find the right words. "Does that mean we can talk about what happened last night before we leave this room? I mean, if you want to."

Blake didn't want to. However, she didn't want Jaune taking that the wrong way. "I guess."

"Alright, then…" Jaune's face somehow managed to grow redder. "Did you… I mean… Did I…" Jaune took a deep breath before blurting out, "Did you finish?"

Silence.

Completely and utter silence.

Blake stared at Jaune, unable to believe he had just asked that. Jaune looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"Nevermind," Jaune said, quickly shaking his head and immediately wincing. His head probably still hurt from all the drinking. In fact, that was likely the reason why he had even been able to ask that question, Blake reasoned. He was probably still drunk. That had to be it. "Forget it. That was dumb. I-"

"I don't remember," Blake said.

She was obviously also not quite in her right state of mind if she felt the need to answer that.

"Oh." Jaune looked down. "I only asked because… I have seven sisters."

Blake stared. This time for entirely different reasons.

"Yeah, that's usually how people react." Jaune sighed. "What I am getting at is that they talk. I mean, of course, they do. They are people. People talk all the time-"

"Jaune," Blake cut in before he could start rambling.

"Right. Sorry," Jaune said. "When I say talk, I mean they talk about female stuff. Not just make-up and clothes, but things like that time of the month and how their dates went. With way too much detail sometimes." Jaune shuddered. "It's not like they did it on purpose. No sister goes out of her way to tell her brother how she and her boyfriend got to second base."

Blake suddenly felt glad she was an only child. It was a welcome distraction from the situation she was in.

"It's just sometimes they didn't notice I was in the room. They would talk for a while before realizing I was there. Sometimes, I just happened to overhear stuff. I have heard my sisters talking about guys they have been… intimate with more times than I can count. It was all very embarrassing. Not as much as this, though."

Jaune tried to smile at Blake then promptly looked down once he remembered a bedsheet was the only thing covering her body.

"Something that came up a lot during their talks was that many of their boyfriends didn't make them… finish. I heard that complaint again and again. Hearing that sort of thing, I thought to myself I didn't want to be a guy like that, someone who only cared about getting his."

"So that's why you wanted to know," Blake said. It was cold comfort, but at least, Jaune looked more mortified than she felt right now. "Like I said, I don't remember much."

Kisses. Passionate caresses. Clothes being torn off in their haste. Things got blurry after that.

"It's fine," Jaune said. "It doesn't matter."

The dejected look on his face made it clear that it was not fine and that it did matter. Blake struggled to find something to say. Even though she had said they should pretend this never happened, she had a feeling that was not going to happen, not with Jaune being the way he was right now. She needed to make this right somehow, or else it would linger between them. She needed to say something.

"We could… try again."

That was not it.

Drunk. She had to be. She was obviously still drunk, Blake told herself as her mind caught up with the words that had left her lips. There was no way she would ever have said something like that if she was still sober. Maybe it was the dehydration kicking in.

"You know, try to make a good memory out of this."

What was she even saying!

She needed to say something, play it off as a joke. This was not even remotely what she had in mind when she thought she had to make things right.

"Okay."

The lone word left Jaune's mouth. It was weak, more of a gasp than anything else. Still, it made its way around the room just fine. Blake heard it. Jaune heard it. They couldn't deny it had been uttered. Suddenly, it became hard to breathe. Suddenly, Blake became more aware of her and Jaune's nakedness. Their eyes, which had struggled to look at everything in the room but each other, finally met.

His body had grown, Blake realized. Under the hoodie and jeans, Jaune was in the process of turning into lean, toned muscle, muscle which was now exposed to her, only a pillow blocking her view of what was truly important.

Blake unconsciously licked her lips, now all too aware of how naked she was, how the bedsheet that in her nervousness she had pulled tightly around her body did little to conceal her figure. Judging by the sudden intensity of Jaune's gaze, he noticed too.

She should put a stop to this, Blake told herself as her grip on the bedsheet weakened. She should explain to Jaune that this was a horrible idea. There was no possible way this could end well. They barely knew each other. Once this day was over, they would look back and realize how stupid they were being. It would make things horribly awkward.

She didn't.

She didn't say anything as Jaune moved closer to her and she moved closer to him. She didn't say anything as the sheet fully slipped from her fingers, revealing her body to him once more. She didn't say anything as their lips met, tentatively at first then with growing confidence.

They did it two more times that day and a few more after showering which led to another shower. That day, Blake found that Ninjas of Love had not been exaggerating the beneficial effects of Aura on a man's ability to perform.

And she did finish.

xXx

The break was over. The new semester had begun.

Jaune was in the middle of Combat Class.

He jumped back as Cardin's mace came down on him. The boy's double-handed mace had a longer reach than Jaune's sword. Jaune could continue dodging by keeping himself out of Cardin's range but doing so put him too far away to land a hit. It was a difficult situation. To hurt Cardin, Jaune needed to get close. If he got close, Cardin would have him in mace range before he had Cardin in sword range.

Pyrrha had impressed on Jaune the importance of managing your effective range in a fight. He understood the concept, but he was still having trouble putting it into practice. That was fine, Pyrrha had told him. These things took time.

Jaune understood that.

Jaune really didn't want to lose to Cardin.

Cardin wasn't the strongest or the weakest in their year. If anything, he and the rest of Team CRDL were firmly in the middle. In theory, there was no shame in losing to Cardin. However, Cardin was an ass, an ass who had blackmailed him and tried to have Pyrrha stung by bees. Jaune was not about to lose to him ever again.

Sure, Jaune knew that Cardin had trained for much longer than he had. Unlike him, Cardin had probably gone to combat school or received training from his family, probably both. The odds favored Cardin. Jaune knew that.

However, Jaune was feeling pretty good about himself right now.

Before Cardin could go for another blow, Jaune dashed in. Predictably, Cardin's mace came at him again. A loud clang rang through the classroom as Cardin's weapon hit his shield. Jaune managed to brace himself in time to properly receive the blow. Usually, this would be the part where Jaune backed away to get some breathing room. However, he was feeling confident. Instead of moving back, Jaune grunted, put his weight into his shield, and _pushed_.

It worked. Cardin was forced to take a faltering step back. Jaune took another step forward and managed to hit Cardin in the face with his shield. At that moment, something clicked in Jaune's mind.

He was stronger than Cardin.

Not stronger in the sense of being more skilled. Cardin probably still had him beat there. However, Jaune's large aura reserves granted him a considerable amount of physical toughness. He had never tried to leverage that properly against Cardin or anyone else. He had always gone into a clash expecting to lose… because that was the way it had always been.

Jaune narrowed his eyes. For once, he had the advantage, and he wasn't about to lose it. He took another step, closing the distance. His sword came from behind his shield to slash at Cardin's side. The shield came next, forcing Cardin back yet again.

At such a close range, Cardin could not properly swing his weapon. Maybe if he had some time to gather himself, he could turn the tables. However, Jaune kept pushing him. He kept pressing his advantage, never giving Cardin a moment's rest. Shield bash. Shield bash. Stab. Shield bash. Repeat. Jaune never lost the momentum.

With one last blow from his shield, Cardin fell.

The Aura meters showed Cardin's Aura was in the red. Ms. Goodwitch announced Jaune as the victor a second later.

Clapping and cheers followed, most of them from his team, especially Nora, but some came from Team RWBY and some from students who did not care much for Cardin and enjoyed seeing him put in his place. Jaune smiled sheepishly, proud of his success.

With his head held high, he waved back at his team. For an almost imperceptible instant, his eyes met Blake's. He nodded at her.

The nod she gave him back was small, almost minuscule. Someone else would not have caught it.

But it was there, and that made all the difference.

xXx

Blake was not having a good day. She was not even having a good week.

The new semester had started out well enough for her. Blake's lack of formal education had hurt her performance in some classes during her early months at Beacon, but by now, she had more than gotten used to things.

Then she had seen the news.

Dust theft after Dust theft. The police blamed the White Fang, and after what she had seen at the docks, Blake couldn't deny how likely that was anymore. It was no secret that the White Fang stole Dust. They had done so even when she had been a member. However, they had never gone out of their way to target random small shops before. There was no merit to it.

The White Fang normally targeted SDC stores. It hurt the company that most abused the faunus and gave the White Fang the resources to continue their fight. It was a win-win situation.

This new dynamic. The alliance with a human thief like Torchwick. No matter how much Blake thought about it, it didn't make any sense to her. There was no cause to it. It was nothing but pure, rampant theft.

It was beneath them.

A different person might have been able to ignore such things and focus on living her new life, but not Blake Belladonna. The White Fang was her responsibility. Her father had been High Leader, and she had been complicit in its transformation. There was no way she could ignore this.

Blake had started investigating. Every day, she went over the news. She scoured the web for rumors, no matter how insignificant they may seem. She looked at old newspapers, hoping she could find clues. She drew a map of Vale in her notebook and marked the locations of every major Dust theft since the beginning of the year.

Sometimes, she would stare at the map for hours, trying to find a pattern. Her performance in class suffered as a result. Blake was barely getting enough sleep. Some nights, she didn't get any sleep at all. Even so, she would not stop.

There had to be an explanation. There had to be a reason.

Blake closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were tired, and she had a headache. Nowadays, it seemed like she always had a headache. She had caught her teammates trading worried glances when they thought she wasn't looking. Luckily, they hadn't tried to interfere yet. They didn't understand how important this was.

She needed to solve this. She needed to figure it out.

Blake stared at the map. Her nails dug into the table.

Why was she having so much trouble with this?

She had been a member of the White Fang for years! She understood the organization better than most, certainly better than Vale's so far unsuccessful law enforcement. She should be more than capable of solving this.

It was the headache. It had to be. It wasn't letting her think straight! All the stress was messing with her head.

Blake took a deep breath. Maybe she did need some sort of break. When was the last time she felt relaxed?

Blake's eyes widened as a multitude of vivid images came to her mind.

No. The raven-haired girl narrowed her eyes. She did not just think about that. It hadn't happened. It had just been a one-time thing. She hadn't been thinking. It could have ruined everything, and they were lucky no one had noticed anything.

Well, almost no one.

Blake grimaced as she recalled what had happened when she returned to Beacon that day.

xXx

It was already afternoon when Blake returned to Beacon. She and Jaune had taken separate bullhead rides just in case. If someone saw them arrive on the same ride, people might start talking. Such was the nature of Beacon.

Upon arriving, Blake went to the communal showers. She had already cleaned herself up at the motel, but it never hurt to be extra careful. She didn't want to go into her room smelling like sex. Ruby and Weiss might not be able to recognize the smell, but she had a feeling Yang might.

Yang was the last person Blake needed knowing about this. Her teammate would never let her live it down.

After her shower, Blake hadn't gone to her room right away. Instead, she had approached it by the window. She might be clean, but there was no hiding she was wearing yesterday's clothes. She needed to go into the room without being seen, grab some clothes, then pretend she hadn't spent the night outside. She'd need to think of a good cover story, but Blake was confident in her ability to do so.

Blake could see Yang through the window. Fortunately, she was snoring and quite loudly at that. Like a ninja of olden times, the faunus snuck in through the window without making a sound. As she made her way inside, Blake heard water coming from the shower. Someone was using it. No matter. She just needed to grab a change of clothes and-

"Hi, Blake."

Blake totally did not hiss like a cat.

The raven-haired girl looked around for the source of the voice. Yang was still asleep. Whoever was in the shower hadn't come out yet. That left…

"Ruby," Blake said, looking up. The girl was sitting in her precariously balanced bunk bed. Her legs dangled in the air. Ruby did not look like someone who had been out drinking last night. She looked sober and hangover free. Her silver eyes stared right at her.

"Crazy night last night, huh?" Ruby said. Blake went through her words dozens of times before concluding there was no hidden trap there.

"Yes, it was really… something." This was fine, Blake told herself. It was just Ruby. She wouldn't jump to all the worst conclusions like Yang. She wouldn't be annoyingly clever like Weiss. She would just be Ruby. Sweet. Innocent. Ruby.

"So how did things go with Jaune?"

Had Blake been drinking anything, she would have spewed it all over the floor. As it was, she was left making a bunch of nonsense sounds, some of which might have been words.

"I… geh… blah… I… what?"

"You and Jaune," Ruby repeated. "You were going to take the same cab and didn't come back last night. I was worried. I left a message in your scroll."

Blake hadn't taken the time to check her scroll yet.

"Look, Ruby, I don't know what you think happened last night, but we were all fairly drunk. It is normal if you don't remember everything and-"

Ruby rolled eyes. "Blake, I remember everything. I don't get drunk. You want drunk? Look at Yang."

Blake did. Even though they had not been quiet, the blonde showed no signs of waking up.

"Yang could never hold her liquor," Ruby said as if ashamed of the fact. "Not like me. I learned everything Uncle Qrow had to teach me." She looked away. "Well, that and my Semblance helps me burn alcohol pretty fast. It helps me burn through a lot of things. It's why I can eat so many cookies. Alcohol doesn't do much for me unless I want it to."

Blake froze. If Ruby had been sober last night that meant…

"So yeah, I remember everything that happened. You and Jaune were the least drunk of the lot, so I thought it was safe to let you guys share a cab while I took care of the others. You didn't come back last night."

"Nothing happened!" Blake said, her amber eyes wide and full of panic.

"I didn't say that. I thought you had fallen asleep on the cab or something. I was worried!"

"Oh."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "But now I am thinking something did happen."

"Nothing happened."

"Blake." Ruby's gaze softened. "You and Jaune are my friends. You know that. If anything happened-"

"Nothing happened," Blake insisted.

Ruby gave her a long, searching look before sighing. "Fine."

xXx

That had been one of the most uncomfortable moments in Blake's life.

On the plus side, Ruby had made no attempts to bring up the subject again. She also hadn't told anyone else about it. The only change in Ruby's behavior since that talk were the occasional glances she shot Jaune and her, and even those were becoming less and less common.

Beyond that little hiccup, things had not changed much. She and Jaune had not gotten any closer. Really, there was no reason for them to do so. They just had a one-night stand. Nothing more.

Right. It was just a one-night stand she could barely remember. Then the morning after. That part she did remember. Blake blushed. She still couldn't believe they had actually done all that. However, she couldn't deny the experience had not been bad.

It had been awkward at first, but it had grown to be quite… pleasant. Good, even. She had come out of that motel room feeling completely refreshed. It was as if all her stress had vanished.

It was the exact opposite of what she was feeling now.

No. Blake shook her head. She was not going there. She wasn't even considering it. Whatever had possessed her that night was no more. It had happened once, but never again.

She needed to focus on the task at hand. She had no time for stupid ideas. Time she did not spend working on this was time the White Fang used to accomplish their goals. There could be no excuses. No interruptions. No distractions. If Blake had to go through a couple more nights of minimal sleep, then so be it. She needed to solve this.

Her resolve made, Blake went back to her research.

It told her nothing.

The stress kept building.

xXx

Jaune was on his way back to the dorms when a familiar black ribbon wrapped itself around him. He didn't even have time to yell as he was dragged into an empty classroom. A familiar body pressed itself against him. Soft lips made contact with his. A tongue sought entrance into his mouth. Dazed, he let it.

All too soon, the kiss ended.

"Blake!" Her name left his mouth with awe. Her hair was frazzled. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her appearance spoke of sleepless nights. Even so, she was still one of the most beautiful women Jaune had ever seen.

"I've been thinking," Blake said, her breathing heavy from the kiss. "There is really no reason to keep what happened last time a one-time thing. It could be our secret. Outside nothing changes. We don't talk about it. Here, we can continue where we left off. What do you say?"

Jaune considered this.

Like any healthy teenage boy, he didn't need to consider it for long.

"Okay."

* * *

 **AN: There are many RWBY fics that deal with Jaune getting drunk and marrying someone. There are comparatively fewer with drunken one-night stands. Once the idea came, it had to be Jaune and Blake, the best bad decision makers in RWBY.**

 **This ended up being surprisingly hard to write. In the real world, teenagers don't need an excuse to teenage. As the writer, however, I'm bound to make things halfway feasible for you guys. I tried to capture that 'my mouth is moving, but I'm in the backseat of my body' feel that you get when you're doing something really stupid but can't stop yourself. Hopefully, it worked.**

 **Jaune vs Cardin is there to show the effect the night had on Jaune. Confidence makes a big difference. As an aside, I've always felt fic writers tend to underestimate Jaune's physical stats. The guy is ridiculous for someone who just recently got his Aura. Sure, he needed Pyrrha to put his shield in the right place in the Emerald Forest, but slicing the head of an Ursa that had just trivialized Cardin in one swing was all him.**

 **Anyway, on the hypothetical full-length story: Not going to lie, even though I wrote parts of this with my tongue firmly in my cheek (Ruby being the one true successor of the Branwen Drinking Techniques), a full-length story would get dark. Relatively short, but dark. Blake is obsessive enough about the White Fang to make several bad choices, and Jaune is insecure and inexperienced enough to go along with them. That's a very dangerous mix. Blake's obsession with the White Fang would only worsen as the story goes on, and Jaune would find himself wondering if he is really okay with this sort of arrangement, creating conflict between the two.**

 **Anyway, till next time!**


	6. Unscheduled Stop

**This one was a bit of a rush job. The original plan was to make a comedy in which Jaune can hear the voices of the two brothers and finds they're massive dicks, but that wouldn't be all that funny now, would it?**

 **Credit to Mr. What If for suggesting this idea to me.**

* * *

 **Unscheduled Stop**

* * *

Jaune Arc was familiar with bad days.

Sometimes, bad days were immediately obvious. Like all those times he woke up falling off his bed or when Brique decided to play a prank on him before he could even hit the shower. However, there were also bad days that snuck up on you. They lied to you by pretending to be regular days. They lulled you into a false sense of security and struck when your guard was down. Jaune knew that all too well. That was why he always assumed his days were going to be bad days. This held especially true for this day.

After all, Jaune was supposed to go to Beacon today.

Somehow, his fake transcripts had worked. He had been accepted into one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Al that was left for Jaune to do was change, check out of the hotel, and take the airship to Beacon.

Well, he also needed to somehow pass the Initiation, but Jaune would rather not focus on that mountain of a problem right now. It was better to take things one step at a time. Change. Check out. Take the airship. Jaune just needed to do those three simple things, and he would be one step closer to his dream.

Naturally, Jaune knew something was going to go wrong. It was inevitable. He didn't know when the other shoe was going to drop, but he knew that it would. He was expecting it.

What Jaune was not expecting was to find his father knocking at his door.

The moment Jaune opened the door and saw his father standing there, he realized today was not just going to be a bad day.

It was going to be a _horrible_ day.

Now, instead of being on his way to Beacon, Jaune Arc was stuck in his hotel room. His father, Jean Arc, loomed over him with his arms crossed. It was a situation Jaune was more than familiar with. Still, it didn't make it any less stressful. If anything, Jaune couldn't quite recall the last time his heart beat this fast. A nervous drop of sweat rolled down his cheek. Jaune kept his gaze firmly on the floor, afraid to meet his father's eyes and for good reason.

While there were similarities between father and son, there was a reason why Jaune always compared himself to his father and found himself wanting.

While Jaune was scraggly and kind of noodly, Jean Arc cut an intimidating figure even in civilian clothes. His blue dress shirt could not hope to contain his well-defined muscles. His jaw was strong and his face clean-shaven. His back was straight, and his eyes held an intensity, a quiet confidence that Jaune had never been able to match. Put armor on him, and Jean Arc would look exactly like you'd expect a fairy tale hero to look like.

Right now, that hero was angry with him.

"I can't believe you tried to sneak your way into Beacon."

Jaune flinched. There it was. His dreams of going to Beacon shattering right before his eyes.

"Just what were you thinking? Beacon's Initiation includes combat against Grimm! You're lucky Ozpin called me when he saw your transcripts."

Jaune's shoulders sagged. So that was how his father found out. The headmaster knew his father. That was all it took to mess everything up. In hindsight, it should have been obvious. After all, Clair had gone to Beacon. However, Jaune had been so eager to become a huntsman that he hadn't thought about the implications.

He should have tried to sneak his way into Shade. His father probably didn't know anyone there. Vacuo was kind of unimportant that way.

"Are you even listening?!" His father raised his voice. It was then that Jaune realized his father had kept talking while Jaune tried to think on what he should have done to get away with it. "You could have seriously hurt yourself, Jaune!"

"In my defense," Jaune said, knowing arguing was useless but unable to stop himself from doing so. "I did tell you guys I was going to Beacon. You told me not to worry if I had to come back."

It had been a very odd conversation, but not one he had been able to avoid. His parents wanted to know why he was going to Vale for a few weeks. Unable to think of a good excuse, Jaune had blurted out the truth. He was going to try to get into Beacon.

Jaune had expected dozens of objections. He had expected his parents to ask him how on Remnant had he earned the right to take part in the Initiation. They knew he had no training. They knew he had never gone to a combat school. They were the ones who always denied his requests for such things. It should have been natural for them to demand answers.

However, no such thing happened.

There had been no sudden interrogations. His parents had just told him he didn't need to feel embarrassed if he had to return home and let him go.

It had been bizarre.

"We didn't think you were going to take the Initiation." His father pinched the bridge of his nose. "We thought you were going to take the CSEEs."

Jaune blinked. "The what?"

"Combat School Equivalence Exams," his father explained. "Not everyone can go to combat school. This holds especially true for those who live outside the Kingdoms. However, it would be foolish to turn away prospective huntsmen just because they lack the right diploma. That is what the CSEEs are for. They allow Academies to test the combat aptitude of prospective applicants and see if it is equivalent to what can be expected from those who graduated from an accredited combat school. Those who pass the exams earn the right to take part in the Initiation."

Jean Arc sighed. "When you said you were going to Beacon, your mother and I thought you had learned about the CSEEs and wanted to take them. The CSEEs do not include combat against Grimm. At worst, you would have fought droids on non-lethal settings. There was no danger in letting you take them."

So that was it.

There was yet another way he could have realized his dream, yet another thing his parents had kept from him. The reason why they had been so okay with him leaving for Beacon was that they knew he'd fail from the start.

And here he thought they had been trying to be somewhat supportive of his dream for a change.

"So, there was another way to get into Beacon. I never knew," Jaune looked up at his father. "Where you ever planning on telling me about it?"

"There was no need for you to know about things like that."

Jaune snorted. "Just like there was no need for me to know about Aura, right?"

His father flinched. Good. At least, he felt guilty about it.

"I asked people, you know?" Jaune began. "I went up to strangers and asked if they knew what Aura was. Turns out _everyone did_!" Even if the answer had been as basic as 'that thing huntsmen use.' "Everyone knows what Aura is. You can even look up videos of people fighting that display Aura meters. Some of them are even from the Vytal Tournament. Imagine that. It does get broadcasted."

Jaune had been young when he first learned of the Vytal Festival. When he asked his parents to take him there, they denied him. Planning a family trip for ten people was too expensive, they said. When he asked if they could watch it on TV instead, they told him the Vytal Festival wasn't broadcasted.

Because it would make it less special.

Jaune wanted to punch himself. Just how stupid had he been to buy that? Sure, he had been a kid back then, but to never question it? Of course, a big international event would be broadcasted all over the world! Broadcast rights to the Vytal Tournament probably cost a fortune.

"And it's not just Vytal. There's also a tournament in Mistal. It's just one train ride away from Shion village. Remember Shion? You took us there every summer. Apparently, that was a vacation we did have the money for, but the train ride to Mistral and its gazillion tournaments was way too much." Jaune snorted. "There are even tournaments in Atlas."

According to his research, the competitive scene in Atlas was not as active as that of Vale or Mistral, but it was still there. You could go to a stadium, buy a ticket, and see two people use Aura to beat the crap out of each other. Aura meters would be proudly displayed on the screen. The commentators would drop the word Aura a few dozen times per match and explain the Semblances of some fighters.

It was that common.

However, Jaune had never heard about it. No one had ever taught him. His parents told him stories about the many heroic deeds of his ancestors, yet the subject of Aura had never come up. If Rose hadn't forgotten her textbook from combat school in the living room, Jaune might have never found out.

"Do you have any idea how crazy it felt when I found out Aura was this thing everyone but me knew about?" His father remained silent, his expression unreadable. Had it been any other occasion, Jaune might have felt a little proud of himself for finally having the upper hand in an argument against his father. However, there was nothing to feel good about regarding this. "I thought to myself, 'Maybe they didn't know,' but that didn't make sense."

Jaune had seen his sisters spar against each other. Those spars had easily been just if not more impressive than any match he had looked up online. He had seen his parents training them. There was no way they didn't know what Aura was.

That was when Jaune had been forced to look at another possibility. He had been forced to look at his childhood with different eyes.

The Arc's ancestral home in Mantle was more like the Arc's family castle. There wasn't much around it and commuting to the nearest town to go to school would have been sort of awkward. Thus, the Arc children were all home-schooled. The head maid, Beryl de Rais, had been the one in charge of educating him and his sisters.

All the education Jaune had received had been under his parents' control. Unlike his sisters, Jaune was never allowed to go to combat school. He never got the chance to leave his parents' sphere of influence until less than a week ago.

There was a TV in his house, but many channels were blocked. Not suitable for children his parents had said. The reception in Mantle was poor they had said. Even his access to the CCT had been quite limited growing up. All his sources of information had been filtered by his parents. That was how it had always been, and only now that he had been allowed into the outside world was Jaune realizing just how much he didn't know.

"You hid everything from me," Jaune said. It was the only thing that made sense. For some reason, his parents had hidden the existence of Aura from him. "If Rose hadn't left her textbooks lying around, I would have never found out about Aura."

"That girl… I told her to clean up after herself." At last, his father opened his mouth. Unfortunately, the words that left it were not something Jaune wanted to hear.

"So you admit it then?" Jaune asked. "You and mom hid it from me."

No wonder he had never been able to compare to his sisters. No wonder no matter how much he tried he couldn't get close to the things they could do casually. He had been working with a handicap all along.

His father stared back at him, stone-faced. "There was no need for you to know about Aura."

There was no need.

Those words. Always those damn words!

"Like hell there wasn't!" Jaune couldn't recall the last time he raised his voice at his father. Bri may do it all the time, but he had always been too in awe of the man to even consider it. Not now, though. "You knew I wanted to be a huntsman! Why would you hide everything about them from me?"

His father's eyes met his with infuriating calm. "There is no need for you to be a huntsman, Jaune. We've talked about this."

Jaune laughed bitterly. Of course! It always came back to those stupid words. There was no need for him to be a huntsman, so he was never trained. There was no need for him to be a huntsman, so he never got to go to combat school. There was no need for him to be a huntsman, so it was fine to leave him in the dark!

"Are you and mom that embarrassed of me?"

"What?"

His father's expression changed to surprise, but Jaune paid it no mind. His mouth was moving, and the words wouldn't stop. "You trained Blanche and Noire. You trained Clair. Bri and Rogue were next. It should have been my turn after that, but the weeks and months passed. I told myself you were going to start training me soon, but you didn't."

Jaune looked down.

"You started training Rose instead."

Rose. His younger sister. He could still remember that day. When she had come back tired and sweaty from training with their father but with a smile on her face. Then their eyes met, and her smile shattered as both realized what had happened.

He had been passed over.

"Are you going to start training Bleu before me as well?" Jaune asked before shaking his head. "Wait. Don't answer that. It's obvious. You and mom sent everyone but me to combat school. It was fine for everyone else. Just not me."

Jaune's eyes suddenly felt hot. He blinked rapidly as his nails dug into his palms. No. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't!

"What did I do that was so bad? Just when did you look at me and decide I wasn't good enough? You and mom raised us with stories of our ancestors and all the good our family had done! Is it so bad that I want to be like them? Am I so unworthy?"

"Jaune, that's not-"

"I mean, I get it. I'm not as brave as Bri. I'm not as kind as Clair. Don't even get me started on Blanche. I know I am not as good as my sisters, but don't I deserve the chance to prove myself? Just…"

He wasn't crying. Damn it, he wasn't!

"Just why am I not good enough for you?"

xXx

Jean Arc was many things. An Arc. A hero. A huntsman.

He was also fallible just like any other person. Once, he had tripped over a rock while fighting Grimm. A mere Beowolf had almost ended his story. To this day, it was among his most embarrassing experiences. There was also the time he had forgotten his wife's birthday. Marie's anger that day had been utterly terrifying.

Yes, Jean Arc wasn't perfect. He knew that better than anyone.

That was why when confronted with the utterly defeated and miserable look on his son's face, a look he had _helped_ put there, Jean Arc had no choice but to admit he might have fucked up somewhere along the way.

"Jaune…" Jean started to speak only to trail off. What could he possibly say? Jaune thought they were ashamed of him. Their only son thought they believed him a failure. The possibility had never once crossed his mind. Jean wanted to laugh. He wanted to tell his son he was being silly, yet doubt held his tongue in place.

Was Jaune right? Jean couldn't help but wonder. Had he and Marie really treated Jaune like that?

When Ozpin told them about Jaune's transcripts, he and Marie had been shocked. Not just because Ozpin let them know about it instead of allowing Jaune to try his luck, but also because Jaune could have died if his transcripts hadn't been found out. Jean had taken the first flight to Vale, fully intent on grounding his son for life.

He had not been ready for something like this.

"Jaune," he tried again. "That's not how it is at all. We could never be embarrassed or ashamed of you. Your mother and I love you. We just worry about you. That is all."

"Just like you were so worried about my sisters you let them train and go to combat school? Yeah, right." Jaune snorted before a softer, more hesitant look crossed his face. "Hey, if I… If I had changed my last name to something else, would you have let me go? No chance of staining the family name if no one knows I'm an Arc. Could that have worked?"

Change his…

Change his name?

"Don't even joke about that!" Jean hissed, angry at the mere thought of his son abandoning the Arc name. It was his legacy. Jean had never intended for Jaune to uphold it by fighting, but there were other ways to help people. To hear Jaune suggesting something like this was inconceivable.

"Then what was I supposed to do?!" Jaune threw his hands up in anger. "What should I have done to make you think it was worth training me? Why wasn't I good enough?"

"I have never once thought you weren't good enough!" Jean found himself raising his voice.

"Then what it is? Why didn't you train me?"

"Because you nearly died!"

The words rushed out his mouth, leaving silence behind. Jaune stared at him in shock.

"What?"

"You nearly died," Jean repeated, trying to calm himself down. "You were a premature birth."

To this day, the experience ranked as the most terrifying of his life. Jean and Marie Arc had raised eight children, but Jaune's birth would always remain the most difficult one.

"When you were born, you were barely larger than my hand," Jean said, leaning back against a nightstand. Suddenly, he felt tired. "You were so small the doctors didn't know if you were going to make it. Your mother and I suggested unlocking your Aura to help you, but the doctor immediately vetoed the suggestion. He told us there was a strong chance your system would not be able to handle the sudden shock."

He and Marie had consulted with other specialists just to be sure. They had all agreed. By its nature, Aura was not something meant to hurt its owner. However, it could happen under extreme circumstances. Jaune's situation qualified. His body had been too weak and too frail to risk it.

"Those were the most difficult months of our lives. Every time I held you, I felt afraid."

Jean Arc could take on a giant Deathstalker with his bare hands. He knew this because he had done it on a dare once. The thought of using too much force and accidentally hurting his son had been paralyzing.

"When the doctors told us you were out of danger, we were all so happy." Jean sighed. "However, the damage was already done."

"What do you mean?"

"You were never like the others Jaune. You were frailer than your sisters. Thinner. Shorter. Your heart and lungs were weaker."

Jaune had always been a little too much on the short side. It was only during the tail end of puberty that Jaune suddenly shot up. Two years ago, he could have passed for a thirteen-year-old.

"That's why your mother and I didn't want you to become a huntsman. It's not that we were ashamed of you. Please, don't ever think that. It's that we weren't sure your body would be able to take the strain."

"Whey all the lies then?" Jaune asked. There were unshed tears in his eyes again. "You could have just explained this to me. It would have sucked, but it would have been better than this."

"You're right," Jean admitted. "We should have told you this a long time ago. However, we didn't. I guess we didn't want to remember those times. Still, that doesn't make it right. It also wasn't our intention to hide so many things from you, but that was what we ended up doing.

"So what, you just happened to hide things from me by complete accident?" The sarcasm in Jaune's voice was thick and full of spite. Jean Arc breathed to calm himself down. Jaune had every right to be angry.

"It started with simple things. Your body was frail growing up so we avoided anything that could potentially agitate you. That meant no more talk of huntsmen-related business around the house. Your sisters agreed on this once we impressed upon them the negative impact too much stimulation could have on your health."

Before Jaune had been born, Jean often regaled Blanche and Noire with stories about his missions. The stories were rarely short on details of Grimm being decapitated and gored. It was probably more detail than children should be allowed to hear, but they loved his stories, and Jean loved that they loved them. Once Jaune had been born, that had stopped. The only tales told in the Arc household from that moment on were tales of their ancestors with all the gory details removed.

"We also limited the information you could access to avoid exposing you to sensitive material." Like hate crimes against the faunus and White Fang activity. "I'll admit we might have overdone it, but back then we were convinced we were doing it for your own good. Things were going well, but then…" Jean sighed.

"Then I told you I wanted to be a huntsman," Jaune guessed.

"It was the last thing we wanted for you. We were afraid your body would not be able to handle the strain. Even unlocking your Aura felt like too much of a risk. The words the doctor told us so long ago still haunted us."

"So you decided to hide it from me."

Jean nodded. "We did."

Bit by bit, most of their books on Aura were removed from the house and placed under lock and key. Jaune's access to the CCT network had also been heavily restricted from that point on.

"We should have talked with you. Told you the truth. We didn't. We thought if we ignored it, it would go away." How ridiculous they had been. "We thought you'd get tired of it eventually and focus on something else."

How foolish of them. Jaune was nothing if not stubborn. No matter how much he was denied, Jaune kept trying.

When he told them he was going to Beacon, they had let him go because they thought it was just a last desperate measure. The dying gasp of a childhood fancy. Besides, it was already time for Jaune to experience the outside world. He was already seventeen, nearly an adult. They couldn't keep him in the castle forever.

"We never expected you to get fake transcripts. I guess we didn't take you seriously enough."

"I wanted to be a huntsman," Jaune said. "Like you and mom."

Guilt twisted inside Jean. "You don't have to-"

"I want to!" Jaune snapped. "I'm not a baby, and I'm not frail. I'm not sure if you have noticed, but I don't exactly fit in the palm of your hand anymore."

He didn't. For the first time, Jean looked at his son and tried to put the image of that impossibly tiny baby aside.

Jaune had grown a lot over the past two years. He was easily taller than most of his sisters now, and Jean had a feeling he wasn't done growing yet. If he could put on some muscle, he'd cut quite the intimidating figure in the future. As things were now, he was still a bit on the thin side.

However, he didn't look frail. Jaune looked like a regular teenager.

The kind that could learn to fight just like everyone else in Remnant.

"You're right," Jean said. It hurt to even say it. To admit he had done so much wrong to his son. "I thought I was protecting you, but it seems I have only been hurting you all this time. I apologize."

Jaune looked away. "I'm not really sure how to feel, to be honest. You kind of just dumped a lot on me."

It wasn't forgiveness, but it wasn't a complete rejection. Jean would take it. However, he was not done yet.

"Let's go to the hospital," Jean said. "I'll have the doctors run some tests on you. If everything is fine, I'll unlock your aura."

His son deserved at least that much. It wouldn't make up for the years he had been denied, but it was a place to start. No, rather, this was what he and Marie should have done from the beginning. They had just been too scared to do so.

"Actually," Jaune averted his eyes. "I already did that."

Jean stared at his son.

"What?"

"I paid a huntsman to unlock my Aura. It cost about half my savings too," Jaune grumbled the last part under his breath.

"You could have seriously hurt yourself!"

"And whose fault was it that I didn't know that!" Jaune shouted back. "If anything, you should be glad I wasn't going to Beacon without Aura."

Jean had to bite back a comeback. Jaune had a point. There was no reason for him to think having someone unlock his Aura could be potentially dangerous. The fault was on him.

"Very well," Jean said, bringing his hands together. "We're definitely going to the hospital to run some tests now."

"I really don't see what the big deal is," Jaune said, lifting his arm. "It doesn't hurt. It's kind of cool. Like a forcefield."

Jean's eye widened as Jaune lightly hit his arm. A flicker of white appeared on impact.

"You can already engage your Aura?"

Jaune blinked. "I can what?"

"Your Aura," Jean said. "You can already project it over your body."

"Well, yeah." Jaune looked confused. "I mean, that's what it is supposed to do, right? It surrounds your body and protects you from damage."

"You can already project your Aura," Jean repeated, shocked.

Contrary to what some civilians thought, Aura was not an automatic defense. Huntsmen trained in order to quickly bring forth their Aura to protect themselves against any attack. Over time, this became an instinctual response, but it didn't start out that way. It had taken Noire a week to get the hang of projecting her Aura, and she had been a quick learner.

Jaune had left for Vale just a few days ago and could do it without any visible strain. He hadn't even needed to focus. He had done it as easily as one would hit a light switch.

"Jaune, I want you to block this."

"Block wha-" Jaune's words were cut off as Jean's fist came down on him. Jaune barely had time to move his arms in time to block.

The hit didn't even use a tenth of Jean's strength. Even so, it still stung.

"Hey," Jaune yelped, rubbing the arm he used to block.

His Aura was still up. The protective forcefield surrounding Jaune's body was not some rushed job. It was not a frail projection. It was the real deal.

Jaune had reached this level with no formal instruction. His Aura had recently been unlocked, and he had already figured out this much.

This talent was something that had always been there. Right under Jean's nose. He had been willing to let this talent wither away. He had been willing to deny his son the opportunity to realize his potential.

No. That wouldn't do.

"There is more than one way to become a huntsman," Jean told Jaune. "Passing the Initiation and graduating from an Academy is not the only way."

"What are you saying?" Jaune asked. His voice trembled slightly. Hope had started to seep in.

"I am saying," Jean said, taking a deep breath and knowing his wife would kill him for this, "That if we go to the hospital, and the doctors say there is nothing wrong with you, I will train you. I will see to it that you become a huntsman."

For the cruelty he had subjected his son to, he deserved no less.

"What do you say to that?"

xXx

Jaune left Vale with his father. Even so, the world kept turning.

Team RWBY was formed, but Ruby Rose started her life at Beacon with one less friend.

Instead of Team JNPR, Team RPN was formed. It happened sometimes. The number of people who passed the Initiation was not always a multiple of four. It was rare, but some people were left partnerless. Such was the case of Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl.

xXx

Jaune blinked as the sun hit his eyes.

"Where are we?" He asked his father. "I thought we were going back to Mantle."

The bullhead had dropped them on a place that could kindly be described as a lifeless wasteland. There was a town in the distance, but Jaune was at a loss as to how anyone could live in a place like this.

"Jaune," his father told him. "On occasion, it is better to ask forgiveness than permission. If we return to Mantle, we'll be forced to waste time seeking the latter."

Jaune looked at his father's resolute face and crossed his arms. "You're just scared of mom finding out you're going to train me."

"I am and so should you."

Jaune considered this for a second. "Okay, point."

"Now that we understand each other, let me welcome you to Spring's End." Jean gestured at the town in the distance. "It is one of the smallest settlements in Eastern Sanus. It's also the furthest one from the city of Vale."

Jaune looked at the small town with dread. "We're going to be training here?"

"Oh, no." Jean shook his head. "This is a small stop. We'll leave in the morning to hunt Grimm."

Jaune's eyes widened. "Grimm? But I thought you said that was too dangerous!"

"That was before I knew you possessed considerable amounts of Aura," Jean explained. "Besides, I'll be at your side. You have nothing to worry about."

"I guess," Jaune said, not looking entirely convinced. "I just thought you were going to train me like you trained my sisters."

Jean's face softened. "Unfortunately, I can't. You're too old for me to train you in the same way. We need to make up for the lost time which means harsher training." Jean smiled. "Besides, Beacon's Initiation would have started by launching you off a cliff. If you were willing to brave that, this should be a cakewalk."

"I was willing to brave what?"

* * *

 **AN: People like theorizing Jaune is related to the King of Vale, but we all know Mantle will rise again!**

 **On the story, Jaune's initial ignorance regarding Aura is something that makes less and less sense the more we know about the world of RWBY. The easy and probably right answer is that it's a case of early-installment weirdness. Jaune's ignorance was a convenient excuse for exposition, but the writing didn't factor how his lack of knowledge would look later.**

 **Still, I wanted to take a stab at addressing it. The way I see it, if you have to make sense of it, then the information must have been deliberately kept from Jaune. That's the only thing that would make sense.**

 **Well, that or he really is the Cloud of this story, complete with fake memories. Now there's an idea.**

 **Anyway, on the hypothetical full-length fic, this would be split into two major arcs. First, we have the Training Arc. Jaune and his father travel the continent fighting Grimm and doing missions. Jaune would get a lot of practical experience during this arc, gain some confidence, and see what it is that huntsmen do. During this, his mother and sisters would find out what's going on. At least one of the Arc sisters (who are totally not based on Saber-clones) would appear at some point.**

 **The second arc would be the Vytal Festival. Jean would take Jaune there to sort of make up for all the times he lied to Jaune about it. The Arc family reunion would happen during this arc. This is also where the reader would see just how things were affected by Jaune not going to Beacon. During this part, Jaune would meet and bond with some of the main characters, but under very different circumstances. The Fall of Vale would obviously work as the climax.**

* * *

 **Extra Note #1: Some of you may have noticed this already, but Alcohol is Humanity's Friend is now the first of these one-shots to be turned into a full fic. I've posted it under the name Lonely Nights. Currently, there is only one chapter (the one posted here), but it will update soon enough.**

* * *

 **Extra Note #2: Someone asked how I feel about people adopting these premises.**

 **My answer to that is, if you want to, go for it. You don't even need to ask me for permission. I would appreciate to be asked, but it's not like I'm calling RT to ask them for permission to write fics. Fair is fair. You think you can write a full-length fic of one of these ideas, go for it.**

 **I do draw the line at copy/pasting the chapters, though. That's a big no.**

 **Anyway, till next time.**


	7. JMM It In

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **JMM It In**

* * *

The Club had seen better days.

The walls were riddled with bullet holes. The ceiling had bullet holes _and_ three man-shaped holes in it. The floor was completely ruined. It was as if a giant had stomped on it with all his strength, warping the entire surface and leaving behind a massive crater. The furniture had not been spared. The chairs and tables were broken when they weren't incinerated. Then there was the fire. Oh, the fire.

Alcohol, unfortunately, tended to be quite flammable.

Luckily, they had managed to put it out before the place burned down, but the damage was done. How they still had working electricity was anyone's guess. Their home was wrecked, their alcohol nearly gone, and the grunts were probably going to use their injuries as an excuse not to work for the rest of the week. The wimps.

Not that Junior was much better. The bastard was still passed out.

"This is not good," Melanie Malachite said. In her hand, she held one of the few remaining bottles of beer. She took a long swing before passing it to her twin.

"Absolutely terrible," Miltia agreed. Unlike Melanie, she downed the whole thing in one go, earning a slight glare from her twin.

"Disgraceful."

"I'll kill that bitch if I ever see her again."

" _We_ will kill that bitch if we ever see her again."

"Stupid top-heavy bimbo."

"And did you see that hair? Who lets her hair grow that long?"

"Tacky as fuck."

A lightbulb dropped from the ceiling and shattered into tiny pieces. The twins sighed as one.

"Think the insurance is going to cover this?" Miltia asked, causing Melanie to blink in surprise. That wasn't the sort of thing Miltia usually worried about. Then again, the club had never been trashed this badly. While it was not unusual for fights to start, the twins were very good at ending them.

Until today.

"It's an insurance company. They'll try to weasel out of it," Melanie replied. Miltia tensed at that, so she added, "It's okay. They'll cover the damage eventually, and we aren't exactly poor. The only issue right now is time."

Lots of time.

Melanie frowned, suddenly wishing they had something stronger than beer. This wasn't the type of damage that could be fixed by the end of the week.

"I'm really going to kill that bitch next time I see her," Miltia said. Her fist banged against the table. Melanie's face softened. Her sister was always the more hot-headed one of the two. However, her anger was more than understandable this time. The Club was theirs, and some bimbo had just come in and trashed them.

It was not a good feeling.

When Miltia was like this, it was usually time to bring out the strong stuff and start partying. It helped Miltia unwind in a way that didn't involve bodying the nearest fool. However, neither option was available to them right now. Most of their alcohol was gone, and there wasn't a convenient fool around.

At that moment, the front door fell to the floor with a loud thud, revealing a blond at their doorstep. His hand was frozen in front of him in mid-motion. His wide eyes looked at the fallen door then at his hand. He had probably tried to push the door open, and it had ended up falling.

"Eh," the blond looked around nervously. "Hi? I was supposed to meet someone named Junior here? The name's Jaune Arc."

For a moment, it looked like he was about to add something to that but thought better of it.

"In case, you haven't noticed," Miltia spat out. "We ain't exactly open for business. Fuck off!"

Instead of doing what a smart person should have done, Jaune Arc stepped inside the ruined building. Sure, he did so after hesitating for a couple of seconds, but he still moved closer to danger instead of away from it. Melanie hummed. Maybe Miltia would get to take out her frustrations on someone after all.

"Do you at least know when I can come back to find Junior?" Jaune asked, his tone nervous. "I just really don't want to miss the admission deadline."

Admission deadline? Melanie furrowed her brow.

"Listen here, you fuck-"

"Wait!" Melanie cut her sister's path before she could bring out the claws. She studied Jaune more carefully now. "You're the guy who wanted the fake transcripts?"

"I-Well, yes?" Jaune looked hesitant to even say it, as if afraid someone might overhear.

"Give us a second," Melanie said, smiling before dragging her sister away.

"What the hell, Mel?"

"Shh, sister dearest," Melania said once they were far away enough from Jaune. "I think we have an interesting opportunity here."

"Opportunity?"

"That guy is here to pick up fake transcripts for Beacon," Melanie explained. She had been there when the request arrived. It wasn't unusual for people to want fake documents, but it wasn't every day someone was ballsy enough to try to sneak into Beacon.

"That guy?" Miltia asked, pointing at Jaune. "He's going to Beacon?"

"That is what he paid for, yes."

Miltia took another look at Jaune before turning to her twin, her judgement made. "He's going to get creamed. Or killed. Probably both."

Melanie did not disagree, but he paid for fake transcripts, not good advice.

"Possibly, but this could be a good time waster for us."

Miltia blinked. She still didn't get it. "How?"

"The Club is not going to open anytime soon. Unless you're willing to get your clothes dirty helping out the construction crew, we'll have nothing to do in the meantime. We can either sit around waiting, or we can take some time to improve and have some fun while at it."

This time Miltia got it. "Us? Go to Beacon?"

Melanie nodded. Junior wouldn't even have a problem with it. He had suggested it to them once or twice, but they hadn't been interested. A huntress license was not something needed in their line of work, and they were strong enough to deal with anyone around. At least, that was what they had thought.

"Would you rather lose next time that bimbo shows up?" Melanie asked. The way Miltia's expression shifted almost made her feel sorry. Really, her sister was too easy sometimes.

"Alright. You made your point," Miltia said. She then nodded at Jaune's direction. "But where does he fit in?"

"Entertainment," Melanie replied. "Just follow my lead."

Melanie made her way to Jaune with her sister in tow. "Jaune Arc, right? I remember now. We had your transcripts ready."

Jaune looked at her with hope. "Really?"

"However, as you can see, we've had something of an accident. I'm afraid your transcripts burned down," Melanie said with mock sadness.

"What? But I really need those transcripts! I already paid for them!"

"And you'll get them," Melanie reassured him. "It's just that maybe you won't get them before the admission deadline. You're not our only client. We can't just drop everything for you. Who knows when we'll have time for your transcripts."

"B-but if I miss the deadline, then what good will the transcripts be?"

"There is always next year," Melanie said, patting his shoulder. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Jaune didn't even hesitate to take the bait.

"We could move you up on the queue," Miltia said, taking Jaune's other side. "We're close to Junior. He'll listen to us."

"You'd do that for me?" Jaune asked with wide, hopeful eyes. He was so transparent it was almost sad.

"We _could_ do that for you," Melanie corrected.

"We might even throw in some training," Miltia added. "No offense, but you look like a wimp."

She squeezed Jaune's side as she said that, prompting an unmanly yelp from the blond.

"We'll even unlock your Aura if you haven't done it already," Melanie said, mostly out of necessity. She had a feeling Miltia's "training" would involve a lot of her sister taking out her frustrations on the nearest blond and little in the way of instruction. Making sure he had his Aura ready for the beating was just a necessity.

"So there you have it. A new and improved package. You get your transcripts in time and enough training to not completely suck."

"You can get all that… for a price," Melanie said.

Jaune was obviously tempted. Still, he hesitated. "I… don't really have that much money."

The twins smiled like sharks.

"Oh, that is absolutely fine. You can pay in… other ways."

xXx

Ruby was glad to have made a friend.

After meeting a very mean girl and exploding on her first day at Beacon, things had not been looking up for Ruby Rose and her normal knees. Luckily, Jaune had been there with a helping hand and a smile.

Well, not a literal helping hand. Both his hands were occupied with other things. Jaune had about as many suitcases as Weiss. Unlike Weiss, he did not have half a dozen people to help him out. Big as Jaune was, Ruby was pretty sure he had to be using Aura to carry them all on his own.

"So, uh, I see you brought a lot of things with you," Ruby said once she had run out of things to talk about.

"What? This?" Jaune gestured at the suitcases with his head. "Most of this isn't mine. It belongs to-"

"Well, look who finally showed up."

"See, Mil? I told you he hadn't ran away."

Ruby turned around in time to see two girls walking towards them. Unlike with her and Yang, it was easy to see these two were related. They had the same black hair, the same green eyes, and the same face. They were twins. One had her hair long and wore white while the other wore red and had shorter hair.

"And who is this?" Melanie asked once she reached Jaune's side, prompting a rush of nervousness from Ruby. While Jaune was nice and approachable, these girls weren't. Plus, it seemed like she was the odd one out here which didn't inspire confidence in her.

"Melanie, Miltia, this is Ruby," Jaune thankfully answered for her. "She helped me find the main hall."

She hadn't helped him find it so much as they had both stumbled upon it after being lost for a while. Beacon needed way more signs it had.

"Ruby, these are Melania and Miltia. They are my…" Here Jaune trailed off.

"We are his owners," Miltia finished for him, prompting a furious blush from Jaune.

Ruby squawked. "Owners?"

"Owners. Mistresses. Whatever you want to call it," Miltia said, inspecting her nails. "The important part is he's our servant."

"I prefer to think of him as a pet," Melanie said. Miltia blinked at that and leaned closer to Jaune.

"I guess he does have a certain puppy-ness to him," she said, examining him carefully, her face inches from his. Jaune just blushed harder.

"We even bought him a collar, but he refused to wear it," Melanie told Ruby. "Can you believe it?"

Miltia shook her head. "Some people just don't know how to be grateful."

"It was such a nice collar too. I know he's not much to look at, but you must admit a collar would look adorable on him," Melanie said. One of her hands caressed Jaune's cheek. By now, Ruby was pretty sure there was steam coming from Jaune's face.

Ruby was not doing any better. In fact, she was pretty sure her face was as red as Jaune's. Sounds come out of her mouth, but they failed to form words. This conversation was way out of her depth. Collar? Pet? Mistresses? What did that have to do with-

Oh.

Oh!

This was… one of _those_ relationships, wasn't it? The ones that showed up in those magazines their dad was super bad at hiding, so that meant Jaune was… and these two girls were…

Ruby swallowed.

Okay. She could handle this. She was cool. Friends didn't kink shame friends. Uncle Qrow said it to her dad all the time, so it must be true. So what if Jaune was into weird stuff? He was still nice. She just needed to open her mouth and show him how cool she was with his lifestyle. Normal knees, don't fail her now!

"Ohlookthereismysistersgottagobye!"

Stupid normal knees.

xXx

Jaune watched in resignation as Ruby sped away, leaving a trail of rose petals behind.

"Adorable," Melanie said. At Jaune's other side, Miltia struggled to contain her laughter.

"Did you have to phrase it like that?" Jaune asked, resigned.

"Phrase it like what?" Miltia asked.

"You know."

"Is there a right way of saying you're our pet?"

Jaune sighed.

When the twins told him they could get his transcripts in time, he had been ecstatic. The offer of training was just icing on the cake. When they told him he didn't even need to pay them with money, he couldn't believe it. It sounded too good to be true.

As it turned out, it had been too good to be true, just not in the way he had been expecting.

The twins hadn't been lying. They got him his transcripts in time, and they even gave him some basic training. Jaune didn't want to imagine how he would have done at Beacon if he came with his Aura still locked. That would have been embarrassing and potentially lethal.

The twins hadn't even been lying about them not wanting his money, and therein lay the problem. The twin's price had not been Lien.

It had been servitude.

In exchange for his transcripts, the twins wanted Jaune to be their servant for a while. Having little choice at the moment, Jaune had accepted. Thus, began his life with the twins. He cooked. He cleaned. He washed their clothes. He gave them massages. All in all, it hadn't really been that bad. It was kind of like living with his sisters again.

Except for the erotic undertones whenever he massaged them, but Jaune was kind of okay with that.

What Jaune was not okay with was the length of his servitude.

Miltia and Melanie weren't people he was only going to see for a couple of weeks before going to Beacon like he had initially assumed. Oh, no. They were going to Beacon too.

That changed things. There was a difference between being the servant of two cute yet criminal girls for a few weeks and being their servant for the next four years. Jaune didn't even have the option of backing out of the deal now.

They might not have threatened him with it yet, but they knew his transcripts were fake. They could easily get him in trouble if they wanted, meaning Jaune had no choice to but go along with their whims

What happened just now with Ruby was a good indication of how the next four years were going to go. Meet people and make friends? Not for him. He was stuck as the servant to a pair of sexy twins… which sounded a lot less tedious than it actually was.

"Besides, I wasn't lying," Melanie said. "You would look good in a collar."

Jaune's fading blush returned with full force.

Stupid hormones. This was supposed to be bad!

Hopefully, they'd get assigned to a different team. They couldn't order him around all the time if they were busy with other people.

xXx

"I must say, Mr. Arc, it is not often a student passes the Initiation without a partner."

It hadn't even been a full day, and Jaune was already in front of the headmaster. Melanie and Miltia stood with him, looking distinctively unconcerned.

"Is that a bad thing, sir?" Jaune asked nervously. He and the twins had landed in the same area. While the twins had made eye contact right away, there had been no one for Jaune to partner with. Jaune had wanted to stay behind to look for a partner, but the twins had dragged him to search for the relics instead.

The three managed to clear the forest and find the relics with little trouble. What they didn't find was a partner for Jaune.

"Not exactly, Mr. Arc," Ozpin replied. "While rare, cases like yours are not unheard of. I imagine Beacon's Initiation was not difficult for someone of your caliber. I am glad to see your transcripts were not exaggerating."

Jaune laughed nervously. Miltia quickly elbowed him to get him to stop.

"However, that still leaves us with a slight problem. I am afraid you are the only student in need of a partner this year. We have no one to pair you with at the moment."

"So…" Jaune swallowed. "Does that mean I didn't make it?"

"Perish the thought. You may have failed to acquire a partner, but you did pass the Initiation. There is no reason to deny your entry to Beacon."

Jaune's heart soared. A wide grin spread across his face, blinding in its intensity. "So I made it?"

Ozpin favored him with a smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Arc. From now on, you along with Melanie Malachite and Miltia Malachite shall be part of a three-person team."

Wait, what?

"Jaune Arc. Miltia Malachite. Melanie Malachite. You who have picked the Black Pawn pieces shall form Team JMM, lead by Jaune Arc. I look forward to your time at Beacon."

Jaune's heart plummeted to the ground.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **The basic idea for this one is, well, basic. Jaune buys his transcripts from Junior and finds the Club recently Yanged. The twins are feeling down. In canon, we don't see them again until Vol 2 for about five seconds. Here, it's a bit of a wake-up call. They also don't really have anything better to do. If someone like Jaune is going to fake his way into Beacon, why can't they do the same? And if they can have some fun while at it, why not? That's how it starts. Their reasons are equal parts whimsical and emotional. Unlike with other ideas, there is not much of a long-term plot to this one. Just hijinks.**

 **Overall, I'm not entirely happy with how this came out. The chapter was originally supposed to cover more ground, but I didn't get much time to write. Novembers. They are the worst.**

 **Sure, I didn't need to post this today, but I'm sure some of you have noticed that I'm trying to update this story every other Monday. I've never said that was the update schedule for this fic, but I've been trying to stick to it just to see if I can.**

 **By the way, Neptune would be Pyrrha's partner here to form Team LVVN (Lavender). The parts of this one-shot I didn't get to write would deal a bit with Jaune being jealous of Neptune's position (and vice versa because twins). I might do a part 2 for this one someday.**


	8. Turn, Turn, and Turn

**Fair warning, this chapter may have more spelling mistakes than usual. Today was busy as hell so I didn't have as much time to go over this as I'd like.**

 **Anyway, let's go.**

* * *

The two fighters went at it in the middle of the clearing. Twins lances clashed in an unbridled display of grace and dexterity.

Noire Arc glared at her foe as she leaned to the side to dodge an incoming thrust. She prepared to counterattack but did not get the chance to do so. The butt end of her foe's lance came up to strike her chin, forcing Noire to take a step back then another as more attacks came.

Needing some distance, Noire backflipped away and landed on a crouch. She allowed herself a smile as she aimed her lance at the enemy. Aura flared around her as she activated her Semblance. Her weapon glowed with power right before Noire Arc lunged.

And tripped over an exposed branch.

A few minutes later, Noire was sitting on the ground, nursing a large bruise on the left side of her face. She glared at the person who had put it there.

"That didn't count," the fifteen-year-old girl said.

The face that stared back at Noire with a smile that was entirely too smug for her tastes was nearly identical to hers. They had the same mouth, the same nose, and the same eyes. Noire's skin was a shade paler and her hair a little lighter, but beyond that, the two were identical. As they should be.

After all, they were twins.

"Is that so?" Noire's sister, Blanche Arc, asked. "And here I thought I just thoroughly routed you."

"I tripped."

"And I used the opening to repeatedly hit you in the head," Blanche countered. "I do believe that counts as my victory."

Noire growled as she moved to stand up, vicious words at the tip of her tongue.

"Noire! Blanche!" The two girls turned once their brother's voice reached their ears. Sure enough, a small blond boy that was seven-years-old but looked younger ran into the clearing. "Mom said you should come home already. It's time for lunch."

As Jaune came to a stop before them, his eyes widened. "Sis, what happened to you?" He asked, running up to Noire. "You have a big boo-boo!"

"It's nothing," Noire said but winced when Jaune poked her bruise then quickly backed away once he started to lean in. "What do you think you're doing?"

"It's a boo-boo," Jaune said as if that explained everything. "I have to kiss it and make it better. That's what mom does when I get one."

"I-That's not…"

"Yes, sister. Don't you know anything about boo-boos? You have to let Jaune kiss it and make it better."

In any other situation, Noire would have been almost impressed by her sister's ability to say that with a straight face. At the moment, all it did was inspire a burning desire for revenge.

"That's not necessary," Noire said, glaring at her twin sister. "It will heal just fine on its own and…"

Noire trailed off as she turned her gaze back to Jaune and met his big blue eyes.

"You don't want me to?" Jaune asked, looking like a kicked puppy that deserved all the hugs and treats in the world.

"That's not…It's just…" It wasn't necessary. That was what Noire wanted to say. Her aura would heal a bruise like this in an hour at most. It was also fairly embarrassing for someone to be kissing her "boo-boos" away at her age, even if that person was her younger brother. Noire had an image to maintain. She had to stand firm and say no.

Jaune whimpered.

"Fine," Noire said. "You can… kiss my boo-boo…"

Blanche snorted behind her. One day her sister would get everything that was coming to her. Noire swore it.

Her desire for revenge, however, was soon replaced by warm and fuzzy feelings when her little brother placed a hand on her shoulder to steady himself and kissed her cheek.

"There," Jaune said, obviously proud of himself. "It's all better now."

It really was, Noire realized. The pain in her cheek was rapidly decreasing, and that was not all. The soreness in her muscles from sparring with Blanche all morning was similarly diminishing.

"Jaune, what are you doing?" It was not Noire but Blanche who spoke. She had moved to their brother's side, and her blue eyes were firmly locked on the hand he had placed on Noire's shoulder.

"Huh?" Jaune blinked, confused. He hadn't noticed it yet, but Noire already had. His hand.

It was glowing.

* * *

 **Turn, Turn, and Turn**

* * *

Ruby Rose fought Grimm under the watchful eyes of her mother.

"Relax your grip," her mother said. "You never want your grip to be too tight around your weapon."

Without even taking her eyes off the Grimm she was fighting, Ruby obeyed her mother's instructions. An instant later, a Beowolf's head went flying off.

"That swing was too wide. Faster Grimm would have been able to get close to you in the time it took to finish. Remember, Crescent Rose is at its most lethal at mid-range. If you let your enemies get too close to you, you will die."

Ruby swung her massive scythe again. This time, her swing was tighter, sharper. The blade severed a Beowolf's torso in one go, then caught another one in its path.

"Better. Now, quicken your pace. We do not have all day."

Ruby smiled. She could almost imagine her mom crossing her arms as she said that. Almost. Ruby knew she wasn't doing that. Never take your hands off your weapon while surrounded by Grimm. Her mom always said that. Even if she could take this pack of Beowolves with an arm tied behind her back and blindfolded, her hand was probably still on her blade.

A few minutes later, when the last of the Beowolves was dead, Ruby turned to her mother, an expectant smile on her face.

"So?" Ruby asked while shifting Crescent Rose to inactive mode. "How did I do?"

Her mother's red eyes took her in. "That was… acceptable."

"Acceptable!" Ruby threw her arm out to gesture at all the dark smoke rising behind her. "Did you not see how many Grimm I just killed? There were dozens of them! I took them down in like three minutes!"

"One, they were only Beowolves," her mother said, raising a finger. She then raised another. "Two, it took you three minutes and twenty-nine seconds."

Ruby pouted. Taking down such a large pack of Beowolves in under four minutes was still an impressive feat for a seventeen-year-old. Had it been anyone else watching her, they would be praising her skills.

However, Raven Branwen was not an easy woman to impress.

"Three, you could have done it in half that time, if only you removed unnecessary motions from your fighting style," Raven finished. This time, she did cross her arms. Ruby sighed and hung her head.

"However," Raven added. "You had control of the battle the entire time. You never once took damage from your enemies, and you ended the fight decisively. You are strong, Ruby. You're certainly better at wielding a scythe than Qrow ever was at your age. Beacon's Initiation should pose no challenge to you."

Even though Ruby knew she shouldn't show weakness, she couldn't help the stupid smile that appeared on her face. Unlike her dad who would praise anything she did, praise from her mom was rare. It made it all the more satisfying when she did give it.

"I'll make you and dad proud!" Ruby promised.

"You always do," Raven said. She smiled, but it didn't last long. "She…She would be proud of you too. For making it to Beacon, I mean."

Ruby's smile froze as Raven looked away. There was no need for Ruby to ask who her mother was talking about. There was only one option.

Summer Rose. The woman who gave birth to her.

Ruby had hoped her mom wouldn't bring her up today. Especially since she was always so uncomfortable when talking about mushy stuff. She should have known better than to rely on her mother being weak. Raven Branwen did not allow weakness, especially not in herself.

Summer Rose had been a great huntress. She had saved many lives and made plenty of friends along the way. She had fallen in the line of duty as was common in the life of a huntress. Her mother, her father, and her uncle all spoke highly of her.

Summer Rose was also the woman who had missed nearly all of Ruby's birthdays.

Summer had died when Ruby was six, so Ruby's memories of her were a bit vague. Ruby remembered cookies and bedtimes stories. However, what Ruby remembered the most was Summer not being there. Sometimes, she'd be gone for days. Sometimes, it was weeks or months. There was always someone to save out there.

There was always someone who mattered more than them.

Ruby did not hate Summer Rose, but she would be lying if she said she didn't resent her. Being a huntress was an important duty. Ruby understood that. Her dad was a huntsman. Uncle Qrow was one as well. Her mom was a huntress.

They were all able to make time for her, even Uncle Qrow who sometimes went on hush-hush missions for Ozpin. It was just her birth mother who hadn't been able to be there for her.

It was Raven who made sure she always visited. It was Raven who always knew what to get her for her birthdays. It was Raven who went to parent-teacher conferences, and Raven who came to talk to her when she was feeling down.

Raven might have married her dad three years after Summer died, but she had been her mom long before that.

As if sensing her thoughts, Raven decided to change the subject. "Speaking of Beacon, it is fine if you don't become team leader. In my opinion, it has always looked like more trouble than it is worth. However, make sure to scout potential teammates the night before the Initiation. Ozpin is annoyingly set on his ways, so there'll be no changing his mind once the teams are assigned."

"Got it!"

"Beacon has co-ed dorms. Am I right in assuming I don't have to tell you how to deal with boys?"

Ruby nodded. "I'm to avoid any physical contact with males not related to me until I'm thirty."

Raven gave her a flat stare. "I'm not your father. Ruby."

"If they're cute, I challenge them to a fight to see if they're strong. There's no point in dating weaklings."

"That's my girl."

xXx

Five years ago, Ghira Belladonna had stepped down from his position as High Leader of the White Fang and allowed Sienna Khan to take command. Five years ago, Ghira Belladonna had become Chieftain of Menagerie. Five years ago, his daughter, Blake Belladonna, had come with him to the remote island.

She had not been happy about it.

Adam and Sienna were right. More forceful methods were needed to further the White Fang's cause. If her parents were too weak to accept it, then so be it. However, why were they dragging her along with them? She wasn't a coward like them. She could still fight.

Her father did not share her opinion. Whatever Blake might be, she was his twelve-year-old daughter first. That was what he had told her back then. One day, she would get to decide how she lived her life. Until then, she would live under his roof and follow his orders.

Blake had _really_ not been happy about that.

She had raged. She had screamed. She had called her parents cowards and then many other worse things. However, her father would not budge. That was how Blake's life in Menagerie had begun.

Living in a mansion. Having a large, comfortable bed. Eating delicious meals every day. Waking up and going to the beach without getting so much as a single dirty look from anyone. Every day on the island was a new experience for Blake.

Every day on the island made Blake feel more and more like a coward.

Menagerie might not be free of problems, but compared to what Blake was used to, it was paradise. Her luxurious, comfortable life was a constant reminder of what she wasn't doing, fighting for their kind like Adam and Sienna were.

Unable to bear it, Blake had tried to escape.

She had failed. A sailor had caught her trying to sneak inside a ship.

Her father had not been happy about it. He had assigned guards to her to prevent such a thing from happening again, not that Blake had stopped trying. In fact, Blake attempted to escape many more times after that, but she failed every single time.

Her constant escape attempts only led to more arguments with her father which made things very tense at the Belladonna home.

Blake would often visit the Menagerie branch of the White Fang when she wanted to get away from home. She would also go to the port to talk with the sailors about how things were going in the kingdoms. Blake loved listening to stories of the White Fang's successes.

Then the news started to change.

It didn't happen all of a sudden. It was gradual, little by little. The description of the attacks became more violent. The operations grew in scale.

People started to die.

Blake wanted to ignore those stories. Pretend it was just human propaganda, but every day, there were more and more faunus coming to Menagerie with similar stories. They talked about how violent the White Fang was becoming. Some were even former members. Blake wanted to call them cowards. She wanted to believe they were exaggerating.

If it was just one or two people, Blake might have been able to brush aside their stories. However, their numbers kept growing. Their stories kept increasing. The violence kept escalating.

Somewhere along the way, without her even noticing it, something had changed in the White Fang. Blake didn't want to believe it. Adam and Sienna wouldn't let something like that happen, yet the evidence grew with every passing day.

After some time, Blake's visits to the Menagerie branch of the White Fang became less frequent. She still argued with her father, but it was mostly out of habit. She couldn't muster the same fire anymore.

She stopped trying to escape.

Instead, Blake started to dedicate herself to other pursuits. Namely, training. Adam had promised to train her once, but it didn't look like that was going to be possible anytime soon. It was up to her to find a teacher. Her parents weren't huntsmen, but there were many veterans of the Faunus War living in Menagerie who were willing to give her a few tips.

Baloo had been especially helpful in that regard.

As the years passed, Blake grew stronger and more skilled. She was pretty sure she could have escaped Menagerie and joined the White Fang if she wanted it. She hadn't. She was not quite sure why, but she hadn't. It was one of those things Blake didn't like dwelling too much on.

Blake still wasn't satisfied with her life in Menagerie. She wanted to do more than to stay in her big, fancy house with her warm, comfortable bed. She still wanted to change the world somehow. However, the part of her that wanted to do it through the White Fang was not as loud as it used to be.

Thus, Blake Belladonna settled on a new path.

"I can't believe my little girl is going to Beacon," Kali Belladonna said as she hugged Blake with all her might.

"Mom," Blake whined, embarrassed by the public display of affection.

The Belladonna family was at the port. Blake's luggage was already loaded on the ship. All that was left was for her to say goodbye to her family. As her mother let go of her, her father stepped up. He did not hug her, though, and neither did she try to hug him. The two just stared at each other in silence, a silence which grew increasingly awkward by the second.

"So…" Blake said. "I am leaving now."

"I see," Ghira replied.

A more awkward silence followed. It was mercifully broken by Kali elbowing her husband, drawing a pained humph from him.

"Ghira, dear, isn't there anything you want to say to your daughter?" Kali asked with a strained smile on her face.

"I… that is…" Ghira coughed into his hand, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. "Blake… I know we've had our differences, but I want you to know I'm proud of you, and I hope you find what you are looking for."

"Oh." Now, it was Blake who felt uncomfortable. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Kali sighed. "Ghira, hug your daughter."

"I… but that's-"

"Ghira. Hug. Your. Daughter."

The smile on her mother's face at that moment was nothing but lethal. That was the one thought running through Blake's mind when Kali turned that smile on her.

"Blake, hug your father. I trust you won't make me repeat myself."

It took father and daughter two minutes to get the timing of the hug right, and even then, it was horribly awkward. Still, hug they did. Father and daughter parted ways after mending the distance between them a little.

Blake Belladonna was going to Beacon.

xXx

"You called for me, mom?"

Marie Arc looked up from her desk as her only son walked into her office.

Unlike most of her daughters, Marie Arc was a short woman. She had blue eyes and pale blonde hair. Although she was already in her forties, she could easily pass for younger.

"I did. Sit down, Jaune," Marie said. "We need to talk."

As Jaune seated himself, Marie took a moment to appreciate how much he had changed. At seventeen-years-old, Jaune had already surpassed all his sisters in height. He was neither too thin nor too wide. Instead, Jaune was all lean, compact muscle just like his father.

It was not something she or Jean had ever expected to happen, not after the unfortunate circumstances of his birth. Although no one would be able to guess from looking at him now, Jaune had once been small and sickly. He had been frail.

Perhaps, that was why they had reacted the way they did when Jaune awakened his Semblance.

"Your father and I have been talking," Marie said once Jaune was seated. "We believe the time is right for you to go to Beacon."

Jaune frowned. "I... don't think that's a good idea."

Marie pursed her lips. Of course, he didn't, not with the way they had raised him.

When Jaune had discovered his Semblance, they had been worried. The doctors had warned them of what could happen if someone with a constitution as weak as his unlocked his aura. However, contrary to their worst fears, nothing bad had happened. Instead, Jaune's Semblance turned out to be a gift from the gods.

Jaune could amplify aura. That meant Jaune could amplify the regenerative qualities of aura, an ability his body had made use of almost immediately. Jaune's Semblance improved his health by leaps and bounds. In under a year, Jaune had become as healthy as other kids his age. She and Jean had been so happy about it, they had started training him early.

Back then, they had seen nothing wrong with it. Indeed, Jaune showed remarkable talent and progressed much faster than his older sisters had. Jean was constantly bragging to his friends about his talented son. For a time, everything had been going well.

"And why do you think going to Beacon would be a bad idea?" Marie asked even though she already knew the answer.

"I mean, I don't want to sound full of myself, but I already have field experience," Jaune explained. "I've gone on plenty of missions. I just don't think there's anything I could learn from Beacon I don't already know."

In a way, he was right. That was the worst part.

It had all started when Jean had the idea of taking him along on a mission.

Marie frowned. That made it sound like she was blaming this on her husband. She wasn't. At the time, she had been fully on board with the idea as well. Jaune's Semblance was an incredibly valuable asset. He could strengthen his allies and heal them. Any team of huntsmen would be lucky to have him. There was no doubt in Marie's mind that her son would make the Arc name proud. That was why she had been supportive of Jaune getting some early field experience.

Jean had wisely chosen an easy mission. There was little chance of things going wrong, and sure enough, they hadn't. The mission had been a success. Jaune's Semblance allowed Jean's team to complete the mission in record time. They had both been so proud of Jaune back then.

Looking back on it, perhaps it would have been for the best if something had gone wrong.

Since nothing bad happened the first time, there had been a second time and then a third time and a fourth time. Again and again, Jean took Jaune on missions. As time passed and Jaune became more skilled, Jean started to pick harder missions.

Jaune began to see death.

Useful as Jaune's Semblance was, it was not all-powerful. He couldn't save everyone. He couldn't heal everyone. As the missions they took him on became harder, situations like that became more common. They should have put a stop to it then. They should have let Jaune rest. They should have made Jaune go to combat school like other kids his age.

They hadn't.

Idiotic as it may sound, they had been proud of him. Proud of the way he refused to back down. Proud of how he tried his best each mission. Who were they to hinder his growth?

His parents. That was what they should have been to Jaune.

"Besides," Jaune went on. "If I go to Beacon, it will take four years for me to graduate. No offense, but that sounds like a waste of time."

Time which he could be using to save people. That was probably what he was thinking. Marie knew how her son's mind worked.

Marie also knew Jaune did not have a single friend. In his free time, he trained. The only people Jaune interacted with were his sisters. He did not have a hobby. He did not read books or watch movies. Jaune only focused on the next mission and nothing else.

It was a good mindset to have… if you wished to run into an early grave.

"You make good points," Marie said, drumming her fingers against her desk. "However, there are things you can learn at Beacon that you can't learn on the field. For example, you will learn to get along with your team."

"I already work well with others, mom," Jaune said. "My Semblance is all about working well with others. The other month, I worked with a team of huntsmen."

"Tell me their names then."

"Huh?"

"Their names," Marie repeated. "Your dad took you on a mission two months ago if I'm not mistaken."

The mission had been to protect a village from a nearby pack of Grimm. Unfortunately, the number of Grimm had been much higher than expected. They had called for backup, but it hadn't arrived fast enough. Many villagers had died as had two of the huntsmen.

"Tell me the names of the people you fought alongside. That's all I'm asking."

Jaune's silence told the whole story.

"I guess we can conclude your ability to work with others still needs work then."

Jaune frowned. "I still say it's a waste of time. I should be out there saving people instead of going to Beacon. There are people who need me out there."

He wasn't wrong. However, he also wasn't right.

"Don't be so arrogant," Marie said. "Remnant has stood for thousands of years before you were born. Huntsmen and huntresses have fought to protect the people from Grimm since the end of the Great War. A single person won't make a significant difference."

It was true that his presence would do some good. It was true that some people would be saved by him being out in the field, and those same people would die because they were sending Jaune to Beacon instead.

However, that was something Marie and Jean had already accepted. Their son's future was far more important than the lives of strangers.

"Do I need to remind you the only reason you can go on missions right now is due to your father taking you along? He will not be doing that anymore. We have already discussed this, and I can assure you your sisters will not be helping you go behind our backs on this. You can choose not to go to Beacon, but you won't be taking any missions until you earn a huntsman license."

"I could just take the licensing exam right away. I don't need to go to an Academy for that," Jaune challenged. It was the closest thing to teenage rebellion Jaune had ever shown. However, like all rebellions, it needed to be crushed.

"Jaune," Marie said with a smile dipped in honey. "We are Arcs. What makes you think you can get a huntsman license if we say no?"

Jaune had nothing to say that.

"We have an understanding then? You will go to Beacon. You will learn how to make friends, and you will acquire at least one hobby during your time there."

And that was that.

xXx

Pyrrha Nikos smiled as she stepped down from the airship. She was finally in Vale.

Her manager had opposed her choice, wanting her to go to Haven instead. However, Pyrrha had not allowed herself to be swayed. Her mind was already made up. Haven was a good school, but it was also filled with people who could only see the Invincible Girl, the four-time Champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament.

Pyrrha wanted to meet people who would see the real her instead.

She hoped she would find them at Beacon.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Before anyone makes a comment about this on the reviews, yes, I do keep up with the latest episodes. I know we have met one Arc sister and seen a picture of the others. However, I had this idea before the episode aired, so I didn't feel like making adjustments to make this canon-complaint. In fact, I'm probably going to hold off incorporating some canon stuff on these one-shots until the volume finishes airing.**

 **The basic idea for this one is simple. Jaune discovers his Semblance early on and receives training as a result. The original idea was for Jaune to be super strong by the time he gets to Beacon but also not as enthusiastic about being a huntsman because that's all he has ever known. Then I realized that was boring.**

 **Instead, this Jaune is 100% on board with all this hero shit. No regrets. He just wants to go out there and save as many people as possible... to the exclusion of just about anything else. His development would involve learning how to find a healthy balance between protecting people and having a life.**

 **Initially, Jaune discovering his Semblance was going to be the only change, but I decided to go all in. Pyrrha is the only one who stays the same for this, the poor girl. Everyone else has changed.**

 **First, we have Ruby. In this timeline, Summer gets Tai first. Many butterflies later, Raven ends up not running away, and Team STRQ stays together until Summer dies. Raven marries Tai a few years later (making Yang the younger sister here). As a result, Ruby has grown up with a lot of influence from Raven. She's more selfish than canon Ruby and more confident as well, stronger too on account of being two years older. This version of Jaune would remind her a little too much of Summer which would cause friction between them.**

 **As for Blake, she doesn't run away to join the White Fang. Instead, she stays in Menagerie. Canon Blake is something of a burned idealist. Here, that burning hasn't happened. This Blake doesn't wear a bow. She's not hiding who she is. She's passionate, but she's also a little more naive than canon Blake. She's also weaker since Adam didn't train her, and she doesn't have as much fighting experience.**

 **In a hypothetical full-length story, I'd probably make Blake the leader of Team BARN. The main focus of the story, I guess, would be on how the members of the team come into conflict and learn to balance each other out. For example, Jaune would initially not have a good opinion of Pyrrha because he'd consider tournament fighting a waste of time. That'd change over the course of the story. Similarly, Ruby would come into conflict with Jaune often and probably gain a new perspective as a result. Meanwhile, Blake would find her optimism challenged by Jaune's very brutal realism. Stuff like that.**

 **Shoot, I ended up rambling a lot. Probably to make up for all the rambling I'm not doing on Lonely Nights.**

 **Anyway, till next time!**


	9. Of Hogs and Warts

**So I take the week off and spent it in crippling pain. Sounds like my luck.**

 **In lighter news, I was not expecting Turn, Turn, Turn to be as well received as it was. I will be taking that into consideration. At the very least, I will be making another chapter of it. It gives me the chance show off Turn, Turn, Turn! Weiss.**

 **Now, for something much sillier:**

* * *

 **Of Hogs and Warts**

* * *

Night had fallen over Beacon. It was already after curfew. The halls of the ancient school of witchcraft and wizardry, which were usually so busy during the day, were now empty.

Well, mostly empty.

"Ugh!" A student cried out as his back hit the wall. He was rather short, and the robes of his school uniform were clearly too big for him. His yellow tie with black stripes and the badger badge on his chest denoted him as a member of Hufflepuff.

"Oscar, Oscar, Oscar," Cardin Winchester said, shaking his head each time he repeated the name. Unlike Oscar, Cardin's tie was green with silver stripes. The silver snake on his robes proudly proclaimed his house. "I told you I needed to have that essay done by today."

"I-I am sorry, Cardin," Oscar said. "But Oobleck gave us a ton of homework this week. I barely had enough time for my own essay."

"Oh!" Cardin smiled. "So you do have an essay ready. That makes things simple then."

The Hufflepuff's eyes widened. "You want me to give you my essay?"

Cardin's cruel smirk was the only answer Oscar needed.

"Oscar, buddy, I'm not going to force you to do it, but it would be in your best interests to do so. Who knows what might happen otherwise?"

Cardin casually twirled his wand as he spoke. Ominous red sparks flared from the tip.

"B-But I'll fail the class if I don't hand in an essay! It counts for 20% of our grade."

The Slytherin shrugged. "That sounds like a lot of not my problem."

"Not your problem? I beg to differ," a female voice said.

Oscar looked up in hope but paled when he saw who his savior was. She walked towards them with confidence, not the least bit threatened by Cardin. Were it not for her heels, she would be about as short as Oscar. However, her cold blue eyes and pure white hair gave her an intimidating presence. There was not a single person in school who didn't know who she was.

Weiss Schnee.

Slytherin Prefect.

"This is none of your business, Schnee!" Cardin barked.

"Winchester, not only am I a prefect, but a brute like you hurting our house's reputation by indulging in behavior like this is absolutely my business," Weiss said, stepping up to Cardin, wand in hand. Her eyes flickered over to Oscar who was doing his best to stay still. As if that would somehow make everyone forget he was there. "You can leave now."

Oscar did not need to be told twice. Cardin stared dumbly as Oscar all but fled out of the room before turning his angry gaze to Weiss.

"Damn it, Schnee! Where am I going to get an essay now?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I am aware this may be a foreign concept to you, but perhaps you could try doing your own work. That is usually how one succeeds, another concept I am sure you have not much experience with."

Cardin flushed with anger. "Oh, you think you're so clever, don't you? Think you're so good just because you got made prefect? Well, you're not, Schnee! You're nothing but a filthy mudbl-"

Cardin froze as Weiss' wand suddenly appeared inches away from his throat.

"If I were you," Weiss said with glacial calm, "I would pick my next words very carefully."

Whether through bravery or stubborn stupidity, Cardin found the strength to glare. "I'm not afraid of you, Schnee."

"Are you sure about that? Because you really should be. Hell, I'm scared of Weiss sometimes."

It was not Weiss or Cardin who spoke. Cardin's eyes narrowed as a tall blond with blue eyes stepped into view. Like Weiss, he wore a prefect badge on his chest.

"I mean, I can't be the only one that remembers what happened last time you pissed off Weiss, right?"

"Arc," Cardin hissed.

"Cardin," Jaune greeted back with considerably less heat. "So, this is going to be a wild idea, but how about you cut your losses and go back to the common room?"

"You would do well to listen to him," Weiss added. "You have already earned yourself detention in addition to whatever Pyrrha decides to do to you once she learns you have been bullying one of her housemates." Cardin paled at the mention of the Invincible Girl. "Do you really want to make things worse?"

Cardin growled but sheathed his wand, knowing he was outnumbered.

"This isn't over, Schnee!" He said as he stomped away, rudely bumping into Jaune in the process. "Your blood traitor friend won't always be around to watch your back."

Jaune watched Cardin go with an amused look on his face. "It's like he doesn't get I just saved him from spending a week in the Hospital Wing."

"I wouldn't have hurt him that badly." Jaune shot her a look. "I wouldn't have," Weiss insisted. "At worst, I would have used him to practice a couple of Egyptian curses I have been learning."

"Isn't that the sort of stuff that turns people inside out?"

"In non-lethal ways," Weiss said, blushing a little. "Anyway, why are you here? As I recall, this area of the castle is not part of your patrol route for the night."

"About that," Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Professor Fall wants us in her office. She says she has something for us to do."

"Did she mention what?"

Jaune shook his head. "No, but knowing her, it's probably related to the Inter-House Tournament."

Weiss hummed. "That sounds like a reasonable assumption."

After all, they were both in Slytherin.

xXx

Professor Cinder Fall was the head of Slytherin, one of the youngest teachers in the school, and the star of many students' fantasies. For that reason, many envied Jaune's position. As a prefect, he had many opportunities to interact with the beautiful teacher. Most of the males in his house wished it was them with the prefect badge instead of him.

The fools.

Yes, Professor Fall was hot. Jaune could see it. Even a blind man could see it.

However, Professor Fall was also an extremely harsh taskmaster with very little tolerance for failure. More than once, Jaune had found himself on the wrong end of her wrath, especially during his first years at Beacon. It was always a terrifying experience.

"Do you know why I have called you here?" Cinder Fall asked them. The beautiful professor wore a stern look on her face as she stared at the two students standing before her.

"We believe it may be related to the Inter-House Tournament. Are we wrong, Professor Fall?"

Like always, Weiss took the lead, something for which Jaune was grateful for. Professor Fall did not seem to be in the best of moods right now. Sure enough, her golden eyes seemed to glow at the mention of the tournament.

"No," she said. "You are not wrong, Miss Schnee. The Inter-House Tournament is exactly why you are here right now."

"Rest assured you have nothing to fear," Weiss said. "We already planned to do our part to ensure Slytherin's victory and-"

"I was not finished," Cinder said, immediately silencing Weiss.

"Slytherin. Gryffindor. Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff. Every year, the four houses compete for the House Cup," Cinder said, rising from her seat. "Once upon a time, Slytherin won the cup year after year. However, for the past five years, the cup has been denied to us. Instead, that honor has gone to Gryffindor. I trust I do not have to explain why."

Jaune and Weiss shook their heads. There was no need to explain. They knew precisely why Slytherin had been on a losing streak. The reason was a name that did not even need to be said.

Ruby Rose.

"Due to the Inter-House Tournament, there'll be no Quidditch Cup this year. That means that whichever house wins the tournament will gain enough points to comfortably win the House Cup, and no amount of points awarded for 'special services rendered to the school' or 'showing courage in the face of adversity' will change that."

"We understand," Weiss said, nodding.

"No, you do not," Cinder said, making Weiss flinch. "The seventh years are too busy practicing for their NEWTs. As such, they will not be participating in the tournament. That means victory will be decided by the sixth years. You two in particular."

"Us?" Jaune asked. He froze when Cinder turned her molten gaze on him.

"False modesty does not amuse me, Mister Arc. You two are the best sixth years Slytherin has to offer. Slytherin's victory will depend on you and make no mistake, you _will_ win that tournament. I fully expect you to do everything in your power to achieve that."

It wasn't a request. It was an order. There was no room for objections in her tone. A smart person would have just nodded.

Jaune was not a smart person.

"Eh…" Jaune cursed himself as Professor Fall narrowed her eyes at him. "What exactly do you mean by everything in our power?"

"I mean that, as students, you should put forth your best effort," Cinder explained, raising an eyebrow. "I am certainly not suggesting you do anything illegal. I am most definitely not telling you to use less-than-legal spells to secure your victory. In fact, do refrain from using such things in places where people may see you."

"Professor Fall, with all due respect, we would never use dark curses!" Weiss said, looking highly offended.

Cinder gave her a flat stare.

"Miss Schnee, I know my Slytherins. Do you really think you have any secrets from me?"

Weiss and Jaune blushed. While Jaune would be the first to say Slytherin's bad reputation was mostly underserved, it was almost impossible for a Slytherin to not pick up a few not-so-legal curses here and there.

"B-be that as it may," Weiss said. "We have no intentions of breaking the rules."

"And that is all well and good. You are free to win any way you wish to." Professor Fall's eyes narrowed. "However, be aware failure will have consequences."

Jaune gulped. No for the first time, he thought everyone took the House Cup a little too seriously. Unfortunately, he chose to voice those thoughts. "Is it really that big a deal? I mean, it's just a little friendly competition, isn't it?"

Jaune took a step back as he received not one but two glares.

"Of course, it's a big deal, you dolt!"

"Friendly, Mr. Arc? Do you think it is friendly of Glynda Goodwitch to come to my office every year just to show off that damn trophy!

It was honestly kind of impressive how Professor Fall could make the name Glynda Goodwitch sound so much like rotten gutter trash.

"Professor Fall is right. I will not have Belladonna rubbing her house's ill-gotten victory all over my face for another year!"

Oh, Weiss could do it too.

Weiss and Cinder's gazes met. An understanding seemed to pass between them. "I see you understand what is at stake here, Miss Schnee. I look forward to your efforts."

"I won't let you down, professor!"

Jaune facepalmed.

xXx

By any measure, Weiss Schnee was an amazing person. Her drive to succeed and devotion to perfection were qualities Jaune often found himself inspired by. However, those same qualities often made being Weiss' closest friend rather difficult at times for one simple reason.

Weiss didn't half-do things.

One Christmas, Weiss somehow got it into her head that she needed to win the gift-giving. Not that such a thing was possible, but that was just how Weiss' mind worked. Unfortunately for Jaune, she hadn't won. The gift he gave her that year had been too good. Weiss had loved it so much she had declared him the victor and vowed not to lose to him again.

To make up for her loss, Weiss had spent the following months paying as much attention to him as possible to know exactly what to get him for his birthday. She may have lost Christmas, but she wouldn't lose his birthday. That was what she said back then.

Jaune shivered.

While the gift had been amazing, the sheer amount of attention Weiss had paid to him during those months had been unnerving.

Flattering and kind of arousing but unnerving all the same.

That was why when Weiss dragged him to an abandoned classroom to plan their strategy one morning, Jaune wasn't the least bit surprised.

"-And that's how we'll take care of Xiao Long," Weiss said, her voice loud and clear. The room was warded with all sorts of privacy charms, so there was no need to worry about anyone overhearing them. "Now, for _Belladonna_ -"

Choosing to ignore the amount of malice she put into that name, Jaune raised his hand and said, "Eh, question here."

"Yes, what is it?" Thankfully, Weiss didn't look too bothered about being interrupted. Jaune guessed planning the downfall of her enemies made her happy.

"I get that you want to win, but aren't you getting a bit too much into all this?" Jaune asked, waving an arm around.

Weiss looked at Jaune, then at the twelve blackboards full of moving diagrams floating around the room and the stack of color-coded binders towering over the desk. She looked back at Jaune. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Weiss-"

"There is nothing wrong with being prepared. In fact, it would be an insult to our competitors to put forth anything less than our best effort."

"I'm pretty sure half of those binders involve ways of taking out Blake," Jaune pointed out. He could tell because those were the black binders. "Also, that drawing of you keeps shoving her into the vanishing cabinet and laughing about it."

"Merely artistic license."

"Which part? You laughing or you shoving her into the vanishing cabinet?"

Weiss looked away. Jaune frowned. "Weiss…"

"Oh, please! It's not like it would hurt her," Weiss said, waving a hand dismissively "The vanishing cabinet is perfectly safe. It would just remove her from the picture for a week or two."

Or a month or two. It was always hard to tell with the vanishing cabinet. Apparently, there had been one guy who vanished for a year, though as far as Jaune knew that was just a rumor.

"Is this about what Professor Fall said?" Jaune asked. "Because I'm pretty sure she can't do anything too bad to us if we don't win. Maybe assign us extra work, but that's it. It's not like she can expel us."

They were some of the best students of their year. There was no way she was getting rid of them.

"This is not about Professor Fall!" Weiss snapped. Her wand slashed through the air. Angry white sparks shot out.

"Then-"

"It's about _them_!" Weiss said. "Do you have any idea how many points I earned for Slytherin during my first year?"

Jaune didn't, but he had a feeling Weiss knew the amount by heart.

"I studied hard. I did my work. We were going to win the House Cup. Then Ozpin gave that dolt and her friends a hundred and fifty points out of nowhere! It would have been one thing if he had done it the day before, but he did it right in the middle of the ceremony! Right when we were about to receive our prize, victory was snatched from our fingers!"

Jaune grimaced. He had to admit that had felt pretty shitty.

"Then the second year came. Again, I do my best. Again, we are about to win. Then Gryffindor gets four hundred points. No explanation was given other than 'special services rendered to the school.' Again, all our effort was pointless because they received an unreasonable amount of points right at the end. That's how it has been. For. Five. Years!"

Weiss looked at Jaune, her normally cool eyes burning with intensity.

"I will not let all my effort be for naught again. Do you understand me?"

Jaune nodded, because really, what else could he do? He had no idea Weiss had been so bothered by this, but he should have realized it sooner. He may not care about who won the House Cup, but Weiss was nothing if not competitive.

Weiss sighed. "Sorry, I did not mean to snap at you. I guess I am more irritated than I thought. It's bad enough Rose was admitted two years early, but she also keeps getting preferential treatment every year. What has she done to earn that? Sleep her way through history class?"

Well, she had saved the world from Salem the Grimm Queen as a baby, but Jaune felt bringing up that little detail wouldn't do much good.

"This really bothers you that much?"

"I believe the past few minutes have already answered that question."

"Fair enough," Jaune said, nodding. "I just have two questions. I get you're focused on beating Gryffindor, but shouldn't you be planning something for Pyrrha?"

Out of all four houses, Hufflepuff was usually the one that was most often mocked. Not brave like Gryffindors. Not intelligent like Ravenclaws. Not ambitious like Slytherins. Hufflepuffs were just… nice. Loyal and hardworking, but not much else when you got down to it. That was usually how it went.

Pyrrha Nikos was a Hufflepuff.

As it turned out being loyal, hardworking, and friendly didn't mean a person couldn't also be impossibly unbeatable in a duel. Pyrrha was definitely someone to watch out for in the Inter-House Tournament, if not the main threat depending on the events.

Weiss, however, did not seem concerned.

"Oh, Pyrrha? There is no need to worry about her."

She said it with so much confidence Jaune was taken aback.

"Really? She's the strongest in our year as far as dueling goes, and last time I checked, she didn't come with an easily exploitable weakness."

Weiss gave him an inscrutable look. "Let me be the one to worry about that. You just keep being oblivious."

"Huh?"

"Exactly."

Jaune was left blinking. Did Weiss know something he didn't? Probably, but it didn't look like she was going to share even if he asked. "Fine," he said. "Second question, why are half your plans related to taking out Blake?"

Weiss huffed and crossed her arms. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I can see the color-coded binders, Weiss," Jaune said flatly. "I know how you organize your stuff."

Weiss scowled. "Belladonna knows what she did."

"I mean, you were getting along during fourth year, then-"

" _Belladonna_ knows what she did," Weiss said in a voice cold enough to freeze Jaune's blood. He wisely decided to drop the subject for now.

Oh well, it wasn't like her answers would have changed what he was going to do.

"Okay. Okay. Fine. I'll… I'll help out."

Weiss blinked, clearly surprised. "You will?"

"Sure, why not? House loyalty and all that, right?"

"Are you sure?" Weiss prodded. She looked away. "I am aware you... don't dislike some of Rose's friends."

"You mean I am friends with some of them."

"Yes," Weiss said, grimacing. "That."

"Well, it's true they're my friends, but you're my best friend, Weiss. This means a lot to you, so I have your back."

The sudden rush of blood to Weiss' cheeks was all too easy to see on her pale, porcelain skin. Jaune thought it made her look adorable.

"But," Jaune added. "No overly dangerous stuff, okay? No shoving Blake into the vanishing cabinet or anything like that."

"Fine," Weiss said. "I will be… nice."

Jaune smiled. "That's all I ask."

Many people, not just those in Slytherin but in other houses as well, often wondered just why Jaune was okay with following Weiss. After all, he was an Arc, and Weiss was a Schnee. Once, the Schnee name may have been held in some regard, but that had stopped once Weiss' mother decided to marry a muggle-born. Many hadn't taken that well. By comparison, the Arc family hadn't added a single drop of muggle blood to its line for generations.

Jaune was a pureblood, and Weiss was not. In many places, especially in Slytherin, that made all the difference.

However, that was just it. Jaune was a pureblood. Jaune was an Arc. Jaune had a legacy to uphold, and he had failed to do so the moment he got sorted.

Arc weren't supposed to be Slytherins.

Arcs were supposed to be brave Gryffindors or sharp Ravenclaws. Even Hufflepuff was acceptable. Just not Slytherin. Never Slytherin. Jaune could still remember the utter shock that had filled the hall after his sorting. Of course, that was nothing compared to how Jaune had felt back then.

He had been afraid. Afraid of what his parents would say. Afraid of what his sisters would say. He couldn't help but feel that he had failed them. While trapped in that mindset, his first days in Slytherin had been miserable. He couldn't help but feel like he didn't belong. He had felt isolated. Alone.

Weiss had been the one to reach out to him.

Sure, Jaune knew she had done it because they were fellow outcasts. She needed an ally in Slytherin, and the Arc name carried weight. Her actions had been born out of practicality rather than sentimentality. As expected from someone who had been sorted into Slytherin within moments of touching the hat.

However, regardless of how it had started, the friendship they had now was a genuine one.

Weiss had been the one to help him gain the confidence he so desperately needed. Weiss had been the one who showed him he didn't need to feel ashamed of himself for being sorted into Slytherin. Weiss Schnee was the reason why the scared little boy that he was grew into one of the best students of their year.

Weiss Schnee was his best friend, and Jaune wouldn't trade that for the world.

If she wanted to win the House Cup, he'd make damn sure it was on her hands by the end of the year.

* * *

 **AN**

 **I can safely say there is no grand plot for this one. I just wanted to write RWBY characters sorted into Hogwarts houses. Ruby, Yang, and Blake are in Gryffindor. Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren are in Hufflepuff. Meanwhile, Jaune and Weiss by virtue of ambition (also the Sorting Hat being kind of a jerk in Jaune's case) are in Slytherin.**

 **Now some may disagree with the placements, and that's totally fair. House sorting is a highly arbitrary process in general. No one is just brave and nothing else. No one is just smart and nothing else or loyal and nothing else. You can make an argument for Jaune being in Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff or even in Ravenclaw if you wanted, and all those could make perfect sense. That's half of what makes the whole thing fun.**

 **Anyway, Jaune and Weiss being sorted into the same house leads them to become closer than in canon. Weiss' father is a muggle-born here to show he married into wealth rather than being born into it, making Weiss a half-blood. Meanwhile, Jaune is the pureblood. This creates a very different dynamic between them.**

 **Also, don't ask me why Weiss doesn't like Blake here. I just liked the idea of Weiss feuding with at least one member of RWBY, and Blake was an obvious choice. There's not enough content with Team RWBY members not getting along out there.**

 **One last thing, some of you are probably wondering what my next fic will be. Right now, I'm deciding between Individual System and Maybe I'm a Lion. I will announce my decision next chapter. I know many of you wanted Turn, Turn, and Turn to be my next fic, but I still don't have a clear outline for that one. Plus, the other two were there first.**

 **Till next time!**


	10. Turn, Turn, and Turn II

**Here it goes:**

* * *

 **Turn, Turn, and Turn II**

* * *

Sometimes, Blake Belladonna felt less than sure of her position as Team BARN's leader.

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Of course, Blake."

Then there were days like this one when Blake really didn't know how to feel. The faunus was left blinking by her team's easy acceptance of what she had been sure was going to be a hard sell.

"So you're all okay with it then?" Blake asked, just to make sure she hadn't misheard. "You all agree we should do something about the White Fang?"

"Sure, why not?" Ruby said. Her corset-wearing teammate was lying face up on her bed while playing a game on her scroll. "Fighting bad guys is kind of what we're signing up for."

Ruby frowned as she reached a particularly tricky part of the game. "Plus, it's good training. Mom always says combat classes don't capture the feeling of dozens of people shooting at you all at once. Better get some experience with that right n-HA! Take that, Baby Farmer! That'll teach you to hide your gold from me!"

In hindsight, Blake should have expected that to be Ruby's answer. She shifted her gaze to her partner.

"Don't look at me. I have no reason to be against this," Jaune said. "The White Fang is hurting people. We should be doing everything in our power to put an end to them."

It was all he said, and really, it was all he needed to say. Blake had been counting on him being on her side for this. Other people would have said it wasn't their place to interfere, that they were just students and should let the police handle things. Those were the rules.

That wasn't how Jaune was. He wasn't one to let the rules stop him from doing what was right.

It was one of the qualities Blake liked most about him.

"Fair enough. And what about you? Are you really okay with this, Pyrrha?" Blake asked the last member of the team. Out of all her teammates, Pyrrha had been the one Blake had expected most opposition from.

"Blake, I won't lie. I think it would be best if we followed the rules and let the police to handle this," Pyrrha said. She then smiled sheepishly. "But, well, if we don't back you up on this, you'll just run away and try to do it on your own, won't you?"

"That's…" Blake raised a finger, ready to deny it but trailed off. Was Pyrrha right?

Maybe.

Probably.

"I'm not that bad, am I?"

Ruby snorted, finally putting her scroll away. "You so are that bad. Remember what happened at the docks? Remember how that little adventure of yours turned out?"

Blake blushed.

With the benefit of hindsight, she could see her actions back then hadn't been the wisest. However, at the time, the burning need to know the truth about the White Fang had overpowered her common sense.

Blake hadn't wanted to believe it. However, there was no way to deny what she had seen with her own eyes. That day, she saw the once proud organization reduced to common thugs working for a common criminal, a human criminal at that. Once she saw that, Blake hadn't been able to help herself. She had leaped out of her hiding place and demanded answers.

Unfortunately for her, Roman Torchwick had proved himself to be a highly competent fighter. He had been strong. Stronger than her. Stronger than most first-years at Beacon. How a man like that ended up a criminal, Blake didn't know. What she did know was that he had taken her down with little difficulty.

Blake didn't want to imagine what would have happened if her team hadn't arrived in time.

"Alright, that's fair," Blake admitted. "I was reckless back then, but it turned out for the best, didn't it?"

With Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ruby there, taking down Torchwick had been easy. The criminal was now locked behind bars. Unfortunately, that hadn't stopped the White Fang's criminal activities. They may have slowed down considerably, but there were still Dust thefts happening all over Vale.

Something needed to be done which was why Blake was asking her team for help. It was comforting to know she had a team made of the three strongest first-years standing with her.

"Wait a minute," she said, suddenly narrowing her eyes. "Are you all just agreeing with this because you think you need to… babysit me?"

Jaune suddenly found the wall behind her to be the most interesting thing in the world. Pyrrha tried to smile but failed and quickly avoided her gaze.

Ruby had no such problems.

"Well, duh!"

In an instant, the girl blurred to her side and engulfed Blake in a bone-crushing hug, making Blake cry out in surprise. "Who knows what will happen if we leave you on your own? Team BARN needs to protect its precious Blaby!"

"Don't call me that!" Blake hissed as she tried to pry the shorter girl away from her with less than successful results. "I hate that name."

Especially since Ruby had coined it about one hour into the Initiation.

"Okay, no problem."

Hope bloomed in Blake's heart. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'll stop," Ruby said with a grin that was all teeth before adding, "If you can make me stop. The sparring rings are probably still open. Wanna have a match?"

Hope died a quick death. Blake sighed.

It was always about strength with Ruby. Strength and sugar. Blake's ears went flat against her head as she realized she was not going to shake the hated nickname anytime soon. Why was she Blaby anyway? She wasn't the youngest-looking of the team by any stretch of the imagination. Pyrrha and Jaune may be giants, but Ruby was not.

"I'm taller than you," Blake grumbled, although unfortunately not low enough to escape Ruby's ears.

"Yeah, right." Ruby snorted. "Try saying that when not wearing stripper heels."

"They are not stripper heels!"

"I know strippers that'd disagree with that. They'd probably want to know where you shop as well."

"Ahem!"

Pyrrha, ever the peacemaker, coughed gently but firmly into her fist, stopping their quarrel before it could get worse. "I think it would be best if we got back on topic. Blake, you have the most experience dealing with the White Fang. How do you propose we do this?"

"Well," Blake said as Ruby finally let her go. "The White Fang my father founded was nothing like this. The criminal activity makes that clear enough. However, I was thinking I should be able to sneak into a rally and-"

"No!"

Three voices cried out as one. Her teammates stared at each other for a moment before motioning Jaune to go first.

"That's not a good idea," he said, shaking his head. "Some of the grunts we fought at the docks escaped. There's no telling if you'll run into any of them. If you're found out while at a White Fang rally, you will be surrounded. It's too dangerous."

"It would be different if we could be there with you, but we aren't faunus," Pyrrha added.

Blake frowned. Her friends were unfortunately right. It wasn't like they could just put on a pair of fake ears. A real faunus would be able to tell the difference right away, and it wasn't like she knew any faunus who would be willing to help her out with something like this. If she tried to infiltrate a rally, she'd be doing it alone.

"You're right," Blake admitted. She felt more than slightly irked when her three teammates all let out relieved sighs. Surely, she wasn't stubborn enough to merit that sort of reaction, was she? "What would you suggest then?"

"Oh, I have an idea!" Ruby said, raising her hand. "I know a bar we could go to. The guy who runs it is involved in all sorts of shady stuff. He's bound to know something about the White Fang."

Blake blinked. "You just happen to know a shady underground bar?"

"Yep. Mom took me there to have my first drink. She said it was important for me to start building up my underworld contacts."

The more Blake heard about Ruby's mom, the more she understood Ruby.

"Anyway, we can all go to the bar tomorrow if you want," Ruby said. "We can even make a team activity out of it! It'll be fun!"

"Actually, you can count me out," Jaune said, causing the other to look at him.

Ruby frowned. "Why? Does the big hero have something against shady criminal bars?"

"Yes, but that's not the issue. I have a friend who might know something. I figure I might as well visit…" Jaune trailed off when he noticed all three of his teammates were now staring at him with varying degrees of shock. "What?"

"You have a friend?" Ruby asked, pointing at him. "Like, you actually made a friend before you met any of us?"

"Hey! I wasn't that bad before I met you," Jaune protested. He looked to his two other teammates for support. "Was I?"

It said a lot that not even Pyrrha was able to meet his gaze. Jaune crossed his arms.

"You guys suck."

"Okay. Okay. Fine," Ruby said, throwing her arms up. "Jaune can go visit his boring friend. The rest of us will party so hard Jaune will never forgive himself for not being with us!"

"I thought we were going to look for information?"

"We can do both," Ruby replied a little too quickly. "The Branwen Drinking techniques were made with that sort of multi-tasking in mind."

She grinned, and suddenly, Blake felt very afraid.

"You girls are going to love the twins!"

xXx

The SDC's headquarters over at Vale was a tall white building with numerous blue-tinted windows. The company's snowflake logo was proudly displayed on its ample front door.

Upon entering the building, one would see white. Lots and lots of white. White marble floors. White walls. White ceiling. The lone exception was the front desk which was made of pure ebony wood. A solitary speck of black in a white void. It seemed like the type of place that should echo every word spoken within its confines yet didn't. Jaune guessed that was by design.

Some buildings were made to be welcoming. They used warm colors and small spaces to achieve that effect. This was not that sort of building. This was a place made for silence and intimidation. Any words spoken were lost in the void, squashed by its overwhelming vastness.

The SDC didn't care about appearing welcoming. They had no need to make themselves approachable.

They were the Schnee Dust Company. They were the largest and most powerful company on the planet. If you came to them, you came to them as a lesser. That was all there was to it. This was a building made to intimidate others, and indeed, many people would be intimidated by it.

Jaune Arc was not one of those people.

He made his way to the front desk with confident steps. The receptionist looked up and immediately gave him a dismissive glance, not that Jaune was offended by it. He understood most people didn't walk in wearing jeans and a hoodie. However, Jaune had always been the sort who prized comfort over image.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" The receptionist asked, managing to maintain a polite tone. One didn't get a job at the SDC by being incompetent.

"I'm pretty sure I'm already expected," Jaune said. If he was right, she was probably watching him through the cameras already. Sure enough, the receptionist's phone beeped at that moment.

"Yes?" the receptionist answered, looking at him oddly. The look on her face quickly changed as the person on the other side started speaking. "I…Yes! I'll send him right away, ma'am."

"Sir, I apologize for the inconvenience," the receptionist said as soon as she put the phone down. "She's already expecting you. Just take the main elevator and go-"

"And go to the top floor," Jaune interrupted, already walking away. "I know. It's not the first SDC building I've been in."

The elevator ride was a long one, but not as long as Jaune wished it could be. As much as he wanted to deny it, he was feeling somewhat nervous. His team had been right. He didn't exactly have many friends before entering Beacon. Even after the Initiation, his total number of friends had only grown by three.

It was kind of sad now that he thought about it, yet it had never bothered him before. Usually, he just went in, killed Grimm, and people thanked him. Jaune liked that. It was nice. Simple. Clean.

Asking a friend for a favor? That was a bit outside his wheelhouse.

As the elevator came to a smooth stop, the doors opened before him to reveal a large, spacious office. Unlike the main lobby below, this room was painted in soft blues, likely at the behest of its owner.

Gathering his resolve, Jaune stepped out of the elevator. The doors closed behind him.

"Jaune Arc," the person he had come to visit said. "I was wondering when you'd come to see me."

"Weiss," He greeted back.

The heiress of the Schnee Dust Company sat atop her desk, her legs dangling from the edge. Anyone who looked at her for the first time would no doubt be struck by how beautiful she was. Pale porcelain skin without a single blemish. Pure white hair like snow and clear blue eyes. She wore a pure white dress which accentuated her lithe figure. Weiss looked like a princess who had walked right out of a fairy tale.

A person could be forgiven for thinking her helpless. Jaune knew better than that, though.

Weiss wore a combat skirt and combat heels for a reason.

"It has been a long time."

"And yet you and I have been in Vale for months now," Weiss said, raising a delicate white eyebrow.

Jaune tried not to flinch. "Beacon has been busy."

"Of course, it has," Weiss said, in a manner that made it clear what she thought of that excuse. "I am sure the incident at the docks took much of your time."

"You know about that?"

"I _am_ the head of the Vale branch of the Schnee Dust Company," Weiss said, motioning to the spacious office around her with a graceful wave of her hand. "There is little I do not know, and what I do not know, I can find out. You would not be here otherwise."

This time Jaune did flinch. "Weiss, I-"

"Save it. I am used to people coming to me when they need something," she said, expertly twisting the knife. "In a way, it is rather comforting."

"Weiss, I am sorr-"

"Now, I do have the information you are looking for," Weiss said, grabbing a folder from her desk. "Here are all the possible locations where the White Fang may be hiding in Vale."

Jaune stared.

"How did you get that ready so fast?" He asked. "I hadn't even decided to come here until last night."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Not everything revolves around you, Jaune. The White Fang makes it a point to primarily steal from the SDC. They are bad for business, and I want them gone."

Weiss crossed her legs as she spoke. Strong as anti-upskirt technology was, the motion caused her skirt to ride up a little. Jaune struggled to keep his eyes on her face. Weiss may have very nice, very smooth thighs but staring was a bad idea.

Judging from the smile that appeared on Weiss' face, Jaune was not as successful as he would have liked.

"I could go to the police with this information," Weiss said, "but they have to follow many troublesome procedures and regulations. I'd rather have this problem dealt with right away."

She offered the folder to Jaune but snatched it away just as he was about to grab it. "But," she added, "I am not giving this to you for free."

Jaune sighed.

Of course.

"What do you want, Weiss?"

"I want us to talk. Nothing more. I am sure that is not too much to ask of the friend who hasn't visited me or called me in months."

"Just that?" Jaune asked, wariness winning over guilt. That didn't sound like Weiss.

"Just that. I will talk. You will listen. You will talk. I will listen. I may even ask some questions. I trust you're familiar with the process."

"I know how to have a conversation, Weiss," Jaune said, a little irked. Why did everyone have to criticize his social skills?

"I will have to thank your teammates at Beacon for that then," Weiss said, causing Jaune's eyebrow to twitch. "Speaking of, I wasn't expecting you to go to Beacon."

A hard question right off the bat. Jaune pursed his lips. He should have seen it coming.

"It wasn't something I intended, but my family insisted on it," Jaune admitted, frowning. He wasn't as against the idea as he had been before, but he did not enjoy being forced to do things.

"Is that all?" Weiss tilted her head slightly to the side. "You never struck me as the type to meekly follow the path laid out for you by others."

"Isn't that a little rich coming from you?" Jaune replied before he could stop himself. To his surprise, Weiss did not seem bothered by his words. The girl smiled.

"Jaune, I am the heiress of the most powerful company in the world," she said. "Trust me when I tell you I am exactly where I want to be. Can you say the same?"

There it was. The reason why he had never once considered visiting Weiss in all the time he had been at Beacon.

Weiss made him start thinking things, things he wasn't entirely comfortable thinking.

"And what would you suggest I do?" Jaune asked, crossing his arms. "If I try to take the assessment exam now, my family will interfere. This is the only way for me to get a Huntsman License."

"Why do you even need a license?" Weiss countered. "Last time I checked, you were perfectly content swinging your sword in the frontier. A license is not needed for that."

Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. Even though Jaune sometimes wished it was.

The world was a dangerous place. Even as he spoke with Weiss, there were people out there being killed by Grimm. Sometimes, Jaune wished he could take the first flight out of Vale and then start killing any Grimm he came across.

However, that would be nothing but empty self-satisfaction.

In the end, the reach of a man's sword was so very small. There were certain things he would only be able to do once he had a license.

"I know what you are thinking," Weiss said. "Many factors make becoming a huntsman attractive beyond just monetary compensation. For example, if you don't become a huntsman, you won't have access to the mission boards. Kingdoms are also duty-bound to provide huntsmen with a variety of perks that make their job easier."

Jaune shrugged. It was true, so why deny it?

"However, if that is the case, then your problem is just the lack of a financial backer."

Jaune slowly shifted his balance. "Are you saying you'll sponsor me?"

Weiss' blue eyes stared right into his. "I am saying I want you to work for me."

"You want me to work for SDC Security?" Jaune snorted. It was a bit rude, but he couldn't help it. "Sorry, Weiss. I want to help people, not keep your Dust safe."

"SDC Security does more than protect our Dust shipments," Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "Do you have any idea how many towns we keep safe?"

Jaune blinked. Wait, what?

"I knew that would get your attention. Look," Weiss took out her scroll and tapped the screen. In an instant, the lights dimmed, and a holographic display appeared between them. It was a map of Eastern Sanus. There were a few dozen glowing dots on it.

"These are all the Schnee mining towns in Eastern Sanus," Weiss explained.

Whenever the SDC opened a Dust mine, those of lesser resources tended to flock to the area. Being a miner was a hard and often dangerous job, but the pay was not bad. Furthermore, the SDC was not picky when it came to hiring miners. People who would be turned down for simple office jobs would have an easy time acquiring a job at the mines.

It was the reason why so many faunus ended up working in the mines and the reason why so many faunus ended up dying in them.

The workers who flocked to the mines sometimes brought their families with them. Prostitutes often followed, and entrepreneurial people set up shops in the area. In a short amount of time, a town was created. They usually lasted until the mine was dry, though some settlements stayed for good.

"Right now, SDC Security is in charge of keeping all these settlements safe, and they have been doing a stellar job," Weiss said, a touch of pride in her voice. "It has been three months since we needed to call a huntsman for backup. My men are more than capable of protecting the people from Grimm."

"But no one is there to protect the people from the SDC," Jaune pointed out. Outside the kingdom walls, there were no laws to bind the SDC. They could do whatever they wanted with their workers.

"I will not deny my father's hiring practices leave something to be desired. Many undesirables have been allowed into the ranks of SDC security, leading to many unfortunate incidents," Weiss agreed with him, frowning. "However, I am not my father. Under my rule, I have made admission into our security forces far more challenging. I have no need for racists that would give the White Fang free recruits."

"That's… good," Jaune said, surprised. Blake was probably going to be happy to hear that when he told her.

"I am also starting to add huntsmen into our ranks."

Had Jaune been drinking, he would have done a spit-take. "You're what?"

"No law says huntsmen cannot take jobs, nor are there laws preventing companies from hiring them," Weiss said, shrugging. "In fact, no law says huntsmen have to take missions at all. The entire system is… hopelessly optimistic when you sit down and analyze it."

Jaune was pretty sure optimistic was not the word Weiss had in mind when she stated that sentence.

"Before the Great War, the huntsman system did not exist. Instead, we had armies full of aura-capable people, ready to enact the will of the monarchy," Weiss explained. "After the Great War, that became unfashionable. Instead, the huntsman system was established."

"And since the kingdoms were not in the best economic situation after the war, many soldiers saw becoming huntsmen as an attractive alternative," Jaune said. "This led to the slow dissolution of armies in most kingdoms." Atlas being the exception. "They realized it was cheaper to keep a volunteer militia that would only be called upon when needed and let the huntsmen handle the rest. I know all that."

His mother had never been lax in his schooling.

"Then you understand that under the huntsman system, the expansion of the kingdoms was halted," Weiss said.

It was true.

One of the reasons behind the Great War was the rapid expansion of the kingdoms. This caused friction between them as they competed for territory. During and after the Great War, many settlements were lost. Currently, the kingdoms had less territory than they did before the Great War for one simple reason.

Huntsmen could not be directed as efficiently as soldiers.

Huntsmen were free to do as they wished. They were beholden to no one but themselves. Thus, the kingdoms had a hard time organizing their efforts towards recovering their lost territories. Many claimed this had been done on purpose by the last King of Vale.

"Huntsmen are unified by the vague goal of saving people. It is laudable, but there is little in the way of control over them," Weiss continued. "Since they are not guided by any central power, the system relies on their natural altruism. However, things don't quite work out that way. You understand, don't you? The main factor that guides a huntsman's actions?"

Jaune frowned. He knew what answer Weiss wanted, and the worst part was that it wasn't even wrong. "Money," he said.

"Correct," Weiss said, pleased. "Huntsmen and huntresses are people too. They need to eat and pay their bills just like everyone else on Remnant. Many have families. It is perfectly natural for them to have monetary concerns. If forced to pick between going to the middle of nowhere to defend a small village from Grimm for a paltry sum or helping secure the border for substantial compensation, most huntsmen would pick the latter job."

It was true.

Huntsmen needed a paycheck as much as any other person on Remnant. When given a choice between a dangerous, low-paying job and low-risk, high-paying one, it was obvious which one they would choose.

"And that's how you got huntsmen working for you." With the SDC's money, keeping an entire team on payroll was simplicity itself.

"Believe it or not, most huntsmen find the idea of stable pay and a good health plan appealing," Weiss said. "Well, I cannot fully claim credit for the idea. I was inspired by Atlas' Specialist Division. Of course, I pay better salaries and offer more benefits."

Jaune could imagine that. Even with two council seats, James Ironwood probably had to fight tooth and nail to get the military budget approved. Weiss had no such problems.

"Right now, I have most of my huntsmen reinforcing key settlements," Weiss said, motioning to some of the highlighted areas of the map. "The others are providing instruction for my security forces. Most will not reach huntsmen level, but that is not needed."

It wasn't needed because sheer numbers would more than make up for that, Jaune realized. As things were now, he was pretty sure SDC security had more power than Vale's barely-there volunteer militia. With Weiss' plan to keep recruiting huntsmen and having them train her forces, the girl would have a private army in a few years.

"And how do I fit in?" Jaune asked, crossing his arms. "No offense, but the idea of helping out only SDC settlements doesn't appeal to me. There are plenty of other people in the frontier."

"And what if there weren't?"

Jaune stilled.

"What if there weren't?" Weiss repeated. "What if SDC settlements were the only settlements outside the kingdoms?"

"Weiss, just what are you planning?" Jaune asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Just hear me out," the girl said, raising a placating hand. She tapped her scroll again. The highlighted areas in the map shifted. "Do you have any idea how many towns disappear every year? Either to Grimm, natural disasters, or simple banditry?"

Too many to count. He said as much to Weiss.

"Exactly. Knowing that, many would wonder just why so many people choose to live outside the kingdoms, but the truth is most people have no other choice. Housing inside the kingdoms is too expensive. People live outside the kingdom walls because they cannot afford to live inside them. They are forced to form their tiny settlements. Some of them don't even have walls to protect them from the Grimm. They might as well serve themselves on a platter. However, I can change that."

Weiss pointed to the map. "These areas are places with the necessary natural barriers and resources to allow civilization to bloom. Vale is too scared of another Mountain Glenn to take a chance, to say nothing of the endless amount of red tape such a project would involve."

Her clear blue eyes looked right at Jaune. "I have no such problems."

Weiss rose from her desk and walked towards the Jaune. "The SDC already manages dozens of settlements outside the kingdoms. Those were unplanned, the result of mining operations, but they don't have to be. We have the resources and the manpower to do so much more. What do you think all the people in the frontier will do when they learn the SDC is offering cheap housing and well-paying jobs? We'll even help them relocate for free."

Weiss tapped her scroll again. The many separate dots on the map representing the various settlements out there merged into one large white dot, bearing the snowflake logo.

An SDC City.

She could do it, Jaune realized. She could really do it. She had the resources and the intelligence for it. With the might of the SDC under her control, Weiss could easily build a city or two. She could consolidate all the people in the frontier under one banner.

Land. People. Army. She was building a nation in all but name.

And she would be Queen.

"And that's why you want me," Jaune said, once it clicked. He smiled. "You want my last name."

"Of course, I do." Weiss didn't even bother to deny it. Her honesty was one of the things Jaune liked most about her. "You are an Arc. Your family may stay out of politics now, but your name still carries weight."

Whereas she was a Schnee. Her family's meteoric rise to power had impressed everyone. However, old money always looked down on new money. That was just the way it went. With the Arc name added to her own, her enterprise would become much more palatable to those who would otherwise try to stop her.

"My father is great at business, and he has done much to make the family fortune grow, but he can be rather short-sighted. He doesn't understand the might the SDC can wield, but that's fine. He will retire in a decade at most. When the time comes, I will take over, and I'll need someone at my side. Someone with the same goals as me."

"And what goals are those?" Jaune asked, taking a step closer to Weiss.

"A better tomorrow for Remnant, of course," Weiss said with a soft smile. "Jaune, you are exactly the type of person I want at my side for this. As a partner… and eventually as my husband."

Jaune chocked on his own spit. "Husband?!"

Weiss stared at him, unflinching. "Why not? You are brave, strong, of good breeding, far from unintelligent, and we actually get along. That is the best someone like me can hope for. Besides, with your name tied to my own, our goals will become easier."

"You are assuming I will agree with you on this," Jaune said. Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"I know you care about the people of Remnant. I know that right now you're probably thinking about all the people dying in the frontier you could be saving. I know you hate how little you can do for them. Tell me this wouldn't be for the best. Tell me we couldn't save all of them by doing this."

Jaune opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Her words were like arrows.

Was she right? Could this be for the best?

More importantly, could he trust her with all that power?

He didn't know. He didn't know the answer to any of those questions.

Weiss always did make him think too much.

"I…"

The moment he opened his mouth, Weiss placed her fingers over his lips. The scene of vanilla reached his nostrils. Weiss always smelled nice.

"You don't have to answer now," she said. "I am not expecting you to make a decision that will affect the rest of your life just like that. I just want you to think about it. Promise me you will do so, okay?"

"I…" Jaune sighed, defeated. From the start, there was no way he could beat Weiss in a battle of words. "Okay."

Weiss smiled a triumphant smile. She went over to her desk to pick the folder with the information on the White Fang and pushed it into his hands. "Here is the information you wanted. Have fun with it."

"Fun is not the word I'd use," Jaune grumbled.

Even if beating up a bunch of terrorists was looking more and more like an excellent way to relieve some stress.

xXx

Weiss waited until the elevator doors closed behind Jaune to collapse in her seat.

That had gone well. Better than she expected, really. For a moment, she feared Jaune would storm out of the room the moment she made her proposal. She should have known better. Jaune understood. He understood the plight of the people of Remnant in a way few did. He knew the limitations of the edge of his blade.

He wasn't like Winter who thought joining the army and obeying Ironwood's orders was all it took to secure peace on Remnant. He wasn't like her father who only cared about increasing his profit margin.

Jaune was someone who should be her partner.

Had she pushed for an answer back then, Weiss was sure Jaune would have rejected her. That was the natural reaction to such a radical proposal, but that was fine. She was a patient person. By giving him time to think about it, she was giving him time to come around to her way of thinking. Eventually, he would realize her way was the future of Remnant.

Weiss straightened in her seat and took out another folder from her desk. This one did not contain information about the White Fang. This folder only contained three files.

Blake Belladonna.

Ruby Rose.

Pyrrha Nikos.

Her competition.

Weiss wanted to snort at that, but Klein had raised her better than that. Of the three, only Nikos was a threat, and she knew Jaune's opinion on tournament fighting. Part of her felt annoyed they got to spend more time with Jaune than she did. However, that would change in time.

Weiss Schnee was a patient person.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **And here it is. Another peek at the Turn, Turn, and Turn Universe.**

 **Winter is about five years older than Weiss. That means that when Weiss was about 12, Winter left the house. Canonically, Weiss continued to admire Winter. Here, Weiss developed a bit of a grudge against Winter for leaving just as things were getting worse (Sienna taking over the White Fang and what not). This caused her to develop differently.**

 **Also because of something that happened with Jaune in the past, but that's a secret. I wanted to try hinting at it this chapter, but it was already too long. This chapter ended up having way too much exposition. In a multi-chapter story, I would probably try to introduce things little by little, but here I had to dump everything at once on you for the whole thing to make sense.**

 **Anyway, announcements!**

 **First, The Jaune-Shots is changing to a monthly update schedule. Partially to have more time to work on my next fic. Mostly because I'm going to run out of ideas if I keep doing a new one-shot every two weeks.**

 **Second, the new fic! After thinking it over, the new fic will be...**

 ***drumroll ***

 **Individual System!**

 **I know many of you wanted Maybe I'm a Lion. Hell, I was strongly tempted to go for it after seeing Adam's face. Can a character scream wasted potential harder? However, after Lonely Nights, I feel I need to write something lighter which is what Individual System is going to be. Don't worry. I will be writing Maybe I'm a Lion eventually, but right now, you're getting Individual System.**

 **Look forward to it!**


	11. Just a Nobody

**It was either a Valentine's Day themed chapter or a Kingdom Hearts themed chapter.**

 **I believe I chose wisely.**

* * *

 **Just a Nobody**

* * *

 _"Jaune… what are you…?"_

 _"It's okay, Ruby. You'll make it out of here. You've done way too many amazing things for it to end any other way."_

 _"Jaune? Jaune, don't! I-"_

 _"Hey, don't look at me like that, Crater Face. It's the way it has be. Remember, you're the ones who matter."_

xXx

Ruby woke up with a gasp. Her body lurched up, rising from her bed. Wild, unfocused eyes darted around. The attack! The Heartless! She had to… She had to…

Her Keyblade appeared in a flash of light.

"Ruby!" Two hands settled on her shoulders. A wild mane of yellow hair filled her vision. That hair. She knew that hair. How could she not? It belonged to the person who used to read her bedtime stories when she was a kid.

"Yang?" Ruby said just as her sister engulfed her in a hug. As she felt her sister's warmth all around her, the Keyblade vanished from Ruby's grip.

"I am so glad you're finally up," Yang said, squeezing Ruby with all her considerable strength. "We were so worried about you!"

"Yang!" Ruby managed to gasp out as the hug started to become less and less comforting. She patted her sister's back to call her attention. "Air!"

"Sorry!" Yang said, immediately letting her go. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you! It's just… it's been two weeks, Ruby. Two weeks! Even Weiss has been worried sick."

Two weeks?

Ruby blinked. It was only now that Yang was no longer holding her that she could observe her surroundings. She was in a bedroom with only one bed. The room was neither too big nor too small. Most of the furniture was made of wood, and a single window let her see the street outside. It was a view she recognized all too well.

It was Twilight Town.

She was in her room in Twilight Town.

"What… what happened, Yang?" Ruby asked, turning to her sister. She frowned as she tried to remember what she had been doing. "I remember we beat Salem."

Salem, Seeker of Darkness. The immensely powerful Heartless that had brought countless worlds to ruin. After numerous battles through many worlds, they had finally defeated her, and… and…

Yang sighed and took a seat next to her.

"After Salem went down, the Heartless went out of control," Yang told her. "It was like they were rabid or something. The whole world started breaking apart. We got separated by the swarm. Weiss and I barely managed to reach the ship."

Right. That had happened. They had been so tired from fighting Salem, they had been unable to stop the horde of Heartless from separating them. It had been just her and Jaune at the end as Salem's dark world crumbled around them.

Jaune…

"Yang?" Ruby asked, unable to stop the slight quiver in her voice. "Where is Jaune?"

Yang looked away. Silly, Yang. Why was she doing that? Jaune was fine. He had to be. If they had managed to save her, then they had definitely saved Jaune as well. He hadn't… That hadn't…

There was no way her memory was telling her the truth.

"I'm sorry. We couldn't find him," Yang said, her eyes downcast.

No.

"We barely got to you in time, Ruby. If we had gotten there even a second later, we would have lost you. Jaune… he wasn't anywhere to be found. The world collapsed. Ruby, he's most likely-"

"Don't say it!" Ruby snapped, white-knuckled hands clutching her bedsheets. Tears threatened to fall from her silver eyes. "Jaune's okay! He has to be! He… He…"

 _"You're the ones who matter."_

He had sacrificed himself for her.

"I am sorry, Ruby," Yang said, moving to hug her. Ruby, however, was having none of it. The girl surged to her feet. She almost fell in the process, her body still weak due to not having moved in two weeks. However, Ruby managed to steady herself just in time.

"Nope!" She declared, her hands balled into fists. "Jaune is not dead."

"Ruby," Yang said sadly, "You have to-"

"I have to what, Yang?" Ruby asked, her eyes full of determination. "Accept he is dead because he was most likely surrounded by Heartless as the world collapsed? So were we when Patch fell! Remember that? We woke up in Traverse Town. Jaune could be there right now for all we know! I'm not giving up. He has to be alive out there. He…" Ruby's voice broke. "He has to be."

"Okay."

Ruby looked up, not having expected Yang to be convinced so easily. Her sister's violet eyes met hers with a calm gaze.

"If you say he's out there, that's good enough for me," Yang said, crossing her arms. "It's not like we have anything else to do right now. We took care of Salem, and it's not like there's another uber powerful Heartless out there. We can search for Jaune for as long we want. Even Weiss won't object to that."

"I... thank you," Ruby said. She didn't know if Yang was just going along with this because she believed in her or just because she didn't want to upset her. However, right now, she didn't care. Ruby Rose had a mission, and she was not going to fail.

Jaune had to be somewhere out there.

He had to.

xXx

He stood at the edge of a building looking at the city below.

The city was nothing like the place he had grown up in. It was a city of neon lights and skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. It was easy to imagine hundreds of thousands if not millions of people lived there, but that could not be further from the truth.

The city was empty.

No one lived in any of the buildings. No one walked across any of the streets. He hadn't seen a single bug. Not one moth or fly. Only the occasional Heartless, but no more than that.

However, that wasn't the most curious thing about this city.

He lifted his gaze to look at the pure white castle that floated in the sky, unhindered by gravity. While he knew of spells that could allow one to manipulate gravity, it was the first time he had seen something so large floating so effortlessly. He should have been stunned by the sight. His jaw should have dropped to the floor in awe.

He wasn't, and it hadn't.

When he had first seen the castle, a small hum had left his mouth. That had been the extent of his reaction. He didn't feel anything resembling wonder nor did he feel intimidated by the floating castle. The empty city also failed to evoke anything from him.

He hadn't felt much of anything since opening his eyes.

"A beautiful sight, is it not?"

He turned around and saw a thin man with dark hair behind him. The man wore a black coat and had a prominent mustache. His sudden appearance did not cause him to feel any panic. He just calmly accepted the man had somehow appeared on the roof without him noticing it.

"It is," he agreed with the man. While the sight did nothing for him, he could recognize it had many elements that would be aesthetically pleasing to most people. Thus, it was not wrong to refer to it as beautiful. "Who are you?"

"Ah, forgive me. Where are my manners?" The man put a hand on his chest and performed a very exaggerated bow. "My name is Watts, a Nobody just like you."

He tilted his head to the side. Not because he felt puzzled, but rather because the action felt appropriate for the situation. While being called a nobody would have angered him before, now he couldn't help but think the man standing before him seemed entirely too self-assured to refer to himself as such.

"You don't look like a nobody."

"Ah, but of course, you wouldn't know, not yet. Allow me to elaborate," Watts said, once again using an abundance of hand gestures to get his point across. "Would I be right in assuming you are at least familiar with Heartless?"

The mere word was enough to bring dozens of memories to the forefront of his mind. Memories of fights, of struggles, of loses and victories, yet once again, he felt nothing. The memories failed to evoke anything in him. No joy or anger. No fear or dread. Remembering just made him feel as if he were reading a book or watching a movie that failed to engage him.

"I am familiar with them."

"Then you know that when a Heart is consumed by darkness, it becomes a Heartless. The new being separates from body and soul which fade into the darkness." Watts smiled behind his mustache. "Curious, is it not? In spite of the name, Heartless are nothing but Heart."

Watts chuckled at his own words, but it sounded artificial to his ears.

"However, what happens to the body that was left behind?" Watts continued. "Have you ever wondered about that?"

He shook his head. The thought had never really crossed his mind. Back then, he had been too focused on trying to survive and getting over the loss of his world to ponder such things. However, now that Watts had pointed it out, he couldn't help but think about it. What did happen to all those bodies? Did they just stay in the darkness between worlds? Forever falling into the void?

That did not sound pleasant.

"Most bodies end up forever lost in the darkness. However, there are exceptions. When those with particularly strong Hearts become Heartless, their bodies keep functioning as empty shells guided by will alone. That is what we call a Nobody. Observe."

Watts snapped his fingers. As soon as he did, small grey creatures appeared in front of him.

There were six of them in total, all identical. Their sudden appearance should have caused him to be immediately on his guard, yet he found himself calmly observing the new arrivals, reasoning that if Watts wanted to attack him, he would have done so already.

The grey creatures had thin limbs that did not look capable of holding anything or even supporting their own bodies. Their heads were cylindrical with a flat top, and their mouths looked like zippers.

"Those do not look like you or me," he said, remembering how Watts had introduced himself.

"Naturally. These are mere Dusks, the simplest type of Nobody," Watts said, waving a hand theatrically. "Although their wills proved strong enough to animate their bodies, they lack the strength to be anything else. They are simple creatures. However, those with stronger wills can retain more of themselves. I am sure you have seen a similar principle at work with Heartless. After all, you have faced Salem, Seeker of Darkness."

Watts' words caused his gaze to move away from the curious ways in which the Dusks moved. He narrowed his eyes because that felt like the proper thing to do.

"You know about Salem."

"My boy, I would have to be a very ignorant man to not know about Salem, and I do not care for ignorance. Now, back to my point, having met her, you should understand. If a person's will is strong enough, it becomes possible to retain your sense of self and even your shape. That is how beings like you and I are born. We who have been rejected by light and darkness now walk in the Realms Between, doomed to non-existence."

He blinked. The action felt appropriate for the occasion.

"You are saying I…" He paused for effect. Once again, it felt proper to do so. Perhaps, this was why Watts made all those exaggerated hand motions? "…do not have a Heart?"

"Do you believe yourself to have one?" Watts asked, stroking his chin. "Think carefully. What is the last thing you remember before awakening in the World That Never Was?"

He filed away the name of the world for later. It was rather grandiose sounding, yet he couldn't help but find it fitting.

"I was fighting Heartless," he said. He remembered it clearly. Ruby had exhausted herself fighting Salem. There had been moments when he had been sure they were done for, but she had never given up. She was the hero, and she had defeated the villain as heroes always do.

That was why there was no way he could let her story end there. He couldn't let her die, so he had…

Oh.

"I lost," he said, realizing the full truth of his nonexistence. "My Heart was taken."

His hand went to his chest. There was no warmth to be found there. There were no feelings inside him, no pain or joy. There was nothing at all there.

It was just an empty husk.

"I am a Nobody."

"Correct," Watts said, nodding with his hands behind his back. "However, you are not just any Nobody. Cases such as ours are extremely rare. Most Nobodies are like the Dusks before you. Very few of us are able to retain human shape and thought, making it all the more important for us to stick together."

With another wave of his hand, Watts banished the Dusks.

"I belong to an Organization that seeks to gather those like us. I have come here to welcome you into our ranks."

He cocked his head to the side. "Gather us? For what purpose?"

"Why? Is it not obvious?" Watts asked, spreading his arms. "To regain what we have lost, my boy. We are incomplete beings who wish to become whole again. Tell me, why did you choose to come to the top of this building. You did not materialize here. It would have been easier to find you if you had. I theorize you manifested in the very edges of the city and made your way here. Why?"

"Because I wanted to explore the city," he replied, "and I'm standing on this roof because I wanted a better view."

"Exactly," Watts said, letting out a pleased hum. "Emotions may have become foreign to us, but wants and desires are still very much a part of who we are. You wanted to see more of the city, so you explored instead of remaining in one place. You wanted a better view so you climbed to the highest surface you could find."

He nodded, finding nothing false about Watts' words.

"In fact, you could say that we are defined by our wants, and which of them could be greater than the want for a Heart? Or perhaps, you will prove the exception? Tell me, would you be willing to continue without a Heart?"

"No."

The word left his mouth in an instant. No, that would not do. He wanted it. Now that he understood he didn't have one, he realized how much he wanted it. "I want it. I want it back. I want a Heart."

Once again, he nodded to himself, finding himself in perfect agreement with his words.

"Then I see we share a common purpose," Watts said. He grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled them as if he was adjusting it. He then pointed to the castle that floated in the sky. "The castle that you see is our main base of operations. We will talk more there."

"Huh, I guess it was a nice coincidence I showed up here then."

"Coincidence has little to do with it," Watts said. He waved his hand, and a portal of darkness opened next to him. "Us Nobodies are naturally drawn to the Realms Between, and there are not many worlds there. There are few other places in which you could have materialized. Now, follow and- Oh! Goodness, I almost forgot about it."

"Forgot about what?"

"Your name, boy," Watts said with a series of exaggerated hand motions. "Your name. I know your name in life was Jaune Arc. However, would you like for me to call you that still?"

He opened his mouth to ask why he wouldn't want to be called by his own name when he realized it.

The name Jaune did nothing for him. Certainly, he knew it was his name. However, it failed to evoke any emotional connection in him. He was Jaune. He knew that for a fact. He had memories of being Jaune, yet he did not feel like Jaune.

Because Jaune Arc had a Heart.

"No," he said. "I do not wish to be called that."

"I thought as much," Watts said, adjusting his coat again. "It is fairly common among us. Ours is a new existence. As such, many feel the need for new names with which to define our new selves. How would you like to be called? Some like to scramble their old names. Some just add an X. A few do both. What will it be for you?"

For a moment, he wondered what could Jaune be scrambled into. What would he call himself if he limited himself to those letters? Anjue? Add an X in front to make it Xanjue?

He shook his head. Nah, that was too much of a change.

"Arc," he said at last, tasting the name and finding it _right._ "You can call me Arc."

Watts nodded. "Very well then, Arc. Follow me."

Watts stepped into the darkness. Arc followed after him.

xXx

In stark contrast to the city underneath it, The Castle That Never Was was almost entirely composed of smoky whites and various shades of grey. It had an endless number of stairs and many needlessly large corridors. Much like the city below, the castle seemed to be empty, or at least, it was so large and inhabited by such a small number of people that one could live here and manage to not run into anyone for weeks.

"Where are we going?" Arc asked Watts. The older man was leading him through one of the absurdly long corridors of the castle.

"I believe it is only proper to introduce you to our leader," Watts replied, not looking back. "Especially because of who you are and who she is, I believe you should meet our queen as soon as possible."

Arc hummed but said nothing. He could ask why it was especially important for him to meet this person, but there was no need to. He was going to meet her in a few minutes anyway. He would know the truth then.

At least, he hoped it would just be a few minutes.

Seriously, what was the point of opening a portal to travel to the castle if they were going to walk for over half an hour after that? Wouldn't it have been faster if the portal led right to where they wanted to go? Then again, maybe that was how portals worked. It wasn't like he knew anything about them. When traveling with Ruby and the others, they had always used a Gummi ship to get around.

It took another five minutes to arrive at an unreasonably large door. The door handles were longer than his arms and way too high up for any reasonably sized person to reach them. However, a single wave of Watts' hand was all it took for them to open.

"My queen," Watts said as he made his way inside the room and bowed. "I come before you after fulfilling my mission and present to you the newest addition to our ranks."

"So I see," a female voice spoke back. "You have done well, Watts. Do come in, lad. You are in no danger here. Allow me to see you."

The voice was familiar, but Arc couldn't place it. At least, not until he stepped into the room. Once he did, he recognized it instantly and wondered how he could have ever mistaken it for anything else.

It was Salem's voice. He knew that because she was the one sitting on the throne in the center of the room.

Salem, Seeker of Darkness. The strongest Heartless that had drowned countless worlds in darkness.

Her hair was blonde instead of white and styled differently. Her eyes were not red, and her skin was not pasty white. However, there was no mistaking her. The woman in front of him was Salem. His lack of a Heart prevented him from feeling fear. Even so, Arc understood the danger the person in front of him represented, and his body tensed in preparation for battle.

"Be at ease," Salem said, raising a hand. "I know my appearance is upsetting to you. However, I am not who you think I am. You believe me to be Salem. Correct?"

Arc raised an eyebrow. Crossing his arms felt like the appropriate reaction but doing so would make it harder for him to react if a fight broke out. "Are you saying you're not?"

"I am, yet at the same time, I am not. At the very least, I am not the Salem you knew," the woman replied, rising from her throne. "Salem was a brilliant woman who performed unspeakable experiments. She allowed her Heart to be consumed by darkness which resulted in the creature you and your friends fought. A Heartless more powerful than any other."

The proverbial light bulb lit up inside Arc's mind.

"You are her Nobody."

Salem instantly favored him with an approving smile. It struck him as somewhat motherly.

"Correct, I am what was left of Salem once her Heart left her body, a Nobody just like you. Rest assured, I share no goals with the creature you faced. Still, I believe I must apologize. My Heartless caused you and your friends quite a bit of trouble, young…"

Salem trailed off, not quite sure what to call him. Watts stepped in to support her. "He has chosen to go by Arc, my queen."

"Arc," Salem hummed. "A fine name. As for myself, feel free to call me Salem."

Arc blinked. "I thought we were supposed to choose a new name."

"We are," Salem said. "I chose to spell my name with the Greek letter Chi instead of an s. Although for you, I suppose it would be no different from an x."

So, it was actually Xalem, huh?

That was kind of lame.

"How did you know I fought your Heartless?" Arc asked instead of voicing his thoughts. He got the feeling these people had known who he was even before he had appeared in the city below.

"I assume Watts has told you a little of our goals?" Seeing Arc nod, Xalem went on. "One of them is obviously the restoration of our Hearts. However, we also seek other Nobodies like us and recruit them into our Organization. To that end, we keep an eye on people with strong Hearts like you. While we would never forcefully turn someone into a Nobody, it is better if we know which people have the potential to turn into one of us should something happen to their worlds. That way we can be ready to welcome them into our ranks."

Jaune would have probably found the whole thing fishy. Arc just nodded and accepted it as something that made sense. He also did not bother asking why did they not help them out with Salem. After all, he already knew the answer.

Salem wasn't related to the Organization's goals.

"The many deeds performed by you and your friends caught our eye a long time ago. You are all in possession of strong Hearts, so we knew if anything happened to you, there was a high chance you would produce a Nobody."

"I see," Arc said, nodding. "Can you do it then? Can you restore our Hearts?"

"I have conducted more studies into the nature of the Heart than most, both as a Somebody and a Nobody. Despite that, the solution to our condition still alludes me, but I do not consider that a reason to stop trying," Xalem replied, her voice as calm as a summer breeze. "I believe the answer must surely be somewhere out there in the endless sea of worlds."

As she spoke, Xalem walked towards him, allowing Arc to appreciate yet another difference between Heartless and Nobody. Salem hadn't walked. She had glided as if her feet never touched the ground.

Xalem, however, walked much like a regular person would. It made her seem vastly more human than her counterpart.

"I see," Arc said. "If that's how it is, then I have no problems joining."

"Are you sure?" Xalem asked, surprising Arc. "I know Watts has already asked you to join us, and I know you have already accepted. However, I want you to think carefully. I could just as easily open a portal to your friends and send you to them. Would you not wish to be with them instead?"

Arc thought about it for a second.

"No," he said. "I don't."

He thought of Ruby and Weiss and Yang. He thought of Ren and Nora. He thought of Pyrrha. He thought of his family. He remembered training in Ozpin's tower. He remembered fighting and laughing and crying alongside them.

On some level, Arc understood those were very important people to him. If they met again, he would certainly try his best to treat them as friends, yet...

"They don't matter right now."

After all, he didn't have a Heart.

"I just want to be whole again."

xXx

It swam through the dark waters.

For how long did it swim there? Time passed differently in the Realm of Darkness. It could have been minutes. It could have years. It did not know, and it did not care. It just kept going and going until it reached the shore.

The first breath of fresh air was like nothing it had experienced before. The sensation of sand between its claws was new yet familiar at the same time.

The Heartless looked at the sky with yellow eyes and roared, a single thought in its mind.

It was hungry.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **It's just not Kingdom Hearts without several versions of the same person running around, you know?**

 **No time travel for this, though. It's for the best.**

 **Anyway, this one is fairly straightforward. Salem takes on the Ansem role (KH1 Ansem as opposed to time-traveling, thirteen-obsessed Xehanort) while Ruby becomes the Keyblade-wielding hero. Weiss and Yang are her Donald and Goofy respectively.**

 **Jaune is the guest party member, except you get to take him along on your journey because you don't have to deal with Disney's annoying guidelines. Blake isn't mentioned here, but she'd be the dark Keyblade wielder. Kind of like Riku except she'd be introduced much later in the story and have no previous connection to Ruby and the others.**

 **Now, I'm going to be honest. I wrote this mostly because I wanted to try writing from the perspective of an emotionless character. I really don't have any intention of continuing this one, but if I did, the story would deal with Arc doing missions for the Organization. He'd probably meet Blake once the Organization discovers she's also a Keyblade-wielder. Meanwhile, the RWY-side of the story would be more focused on the escalating threat of Heartless-Jaune who starts as a Shadow but doesn't stay that way for long. The two plots would collide in time.**

 **Anyway, that's all for now.**

 **Till next time!**


	12. No Victory in Strength

**Let's go!**

* * *

 **No Victory in Strength**

* * *

The city of Vale was in a festive mood.

A few years ago, the notion would have been unthinkable. The city had suffered through the loss of Beacon and everything that had followed. Grimm activity had spiked all over the world after the fall. Vale's volunteer militia had been called to action. Refugees had fled to the relative safety of the city in droves which resulted in a population increase beyond the city's ability to handle. In the months after the fall, beggars and homeless started to become everyday sights.

Then Atlas had fallen from the sky.

The Fall of Beacon could not even begin to compare to that event. For one horror-filled night, the world watched as the city at the top of the world was brought to ruin. The world watched as the monster known as Salem revealed herself to them in all her terrible glory. Hundreds of thousands died that night, and the negativity generated by the atrocity brought Grimm activity to an all-time high.

The kingdoms had been brought to the brink of collapse. It was, without a doubt, the darkest time in mankind's recorded history. Many had been sure the world was about to end.

It hadn't.

Brave heroes had risen to save everyone. The Grimm in Atlas had been destroyed. Half a year later, Beacon had been reclaimed. Then those same heroes had set out to the Grimmlands, ready to challenge the monster who had torn Atlas down from the sky. It was a doomed mission. Many could see that, yet they dared to hope.

Those hopes had not been betrayed.

The heroes had returned triumphant, and now, Vale rejoiced. From the Councilman to the lowliest janitor, the entire kingdom could not stop talking about how the world had been saved. In every house. In every bar. In every street. The people celebrated.

Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Blake Belladonna. Yang Xiao Long. Jaune Arc. Nora Valkyrie. Lie Ren. Their names were on everyone's lips. All around the world, people toasted to their names.

Yet those brave heroes were nowhere to be found. They were not partaking in any of the festivities. They were not staying in a high-class hotel or eating in a fancy restaurant even though no one would dare charge them.

Instead, the brave heroes were staying in a simple house in the residential district. It belonged to the Arc family. They stayed there whenever they traveled to Vale, and it had been Jaune Arc's idea to gather there as he knew the place would be empty.

Even though the people of Vale were cheering and laughing and drinking, there was no joy or laughter in that house. Only four people were sitting in the living room, all of them as quiet as graves. There was no joy in their faces, no laughter in their eyes. There was only misery and pain. The house which was so full of life whenever the Arc family was there had been transformed into something bleak.

At that moment, the one who found her voice first was Ruby Rose.

"Where are the others?"

"Nora and Yang went to the Emerald Forest for a spar. They said they needed to blow off some steam." As Jaune saw the worried looks on the girls' faces, he hurried to add. "It's okay. Ren went with them. He'll use his Semblance on them in case things get too heated."

His words seemed to mollify the others to some degree but not by much. Jaune couldn't blame them.

Bad things tended to happen when two Maidens fought.

During their journey, Nora and Yang had become the Maidens of Fall and Spring respectively. They had already been formidable fighters before that, but the addition of Maiden powers had turned them into weapons of mass destruction.

The two knew better than to fight each other using Maiden powers, but considering everything that had happened, no one could blame them for wanting to cut loose. Besides, even if they wanted to stop them, they wouldn't be able to. Their best bet was for Ren to use his Semblance on them from a safe distance to cool them off in case things got too heated.

"I envy them," Weiss said. "I wish I could deal with this by breaking things."

"If you need a punching bag, I'm willing to be it," Jaune said, raising his hand. "Yang and Nora aren't the only ones who could use a spar."

He wasn't lying. The blond radiated tension. He was like a coiled spring ready to go off, and it wasn't just him. Everyone in the room was in the same state, unsheathed blades with no target.

For a moment, Weiss almost looked tempted. "I am afraid I will have to decline. Nora and Yang have earned the right to unwind after everything they did, but we need to keep our wits. I foresee we'll be the ones taking care of them after they are done sparring."

"Besides," Blake added, not looking up from the book she was not reading. "What works for Yang and Nora is not guaranteed to work for us. We all deal with stress in different ways."

"How do we deal with it then?" Everyone turned to Ruby after she spoke. "What are we supposed to do now?"

There was not a single person in the room who was not hurt by how lost Ruby looked at that moment. No matter how bad things had gotten in the past, she had never once faltered. She never once gave up hope.

How cruel victory was to make her like this.

"I can bring out some board games," Jaune offered. "There are a bunch of them upstairs. No reason we can't relax a little while we talk about this."

"No," Weis frowned as she spoke. "If we do it like that, we will just end up not talking about this again. Enough distractions. We have put this off long already."

Jaune pursed his lips but couldn't argue against Weiss' logic.

"Okay then," he said. He leaned back against the couch. "Let's talk."

Silence.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

It wasn't that they didn't have anything to say. It wasn't that they wanted to keep ignoring this. To remain as they were, to not talk about it for any longer was unthinkable, and there lay the problem. There was too much to say. There was too much to discuss.

Where were they supposed to start?

Weiss Schnee had made peace with her brother, and he had told her he wanted them to rebuild the SDC together. Glynda Goodwitch had offered Jaune Arc a position at Beacon. As a TA first, then as a fully-fledged teacher. Ghira Belladonna had told his daughter he wanted her to eventually take over his new organization. As for Ruby Rose, it went without saying that after her many heroic deeds she was the most sought-after Huntress in history.

Every one of them had things to look forward to after the battle with Salem was over, yet now that the time had come, now that they had succeeded, it all just felt so pointless.

Meaningless.

The silence stretched until Blake was forced to put down the book she wasn't reading. The faunus frowned and looked around, hoping to find someone in the room on the verge of speaking. She didn't. Biting her lower lip, she prepared to open her mouth.

Someone knocked at the door. Two sharp knocks were heard clearly by the four people in the room, causing them to trade confused glances.

"You think they're done already?" Ruby asked. Weiss shook her head.

"Impossible. There is no way they could be done so quickly."

"The who is it? Did anyone else know we were staying here?" Blake asked looking at the other three who were just as lost as she was.

"Maybe one of the neighbors heard us?" Jaune guessed. "I'll see what they want."

"Don't!" Weiss said, raising a hand to stop him. "It could be the press. If you answer right now, we could end up swamped by reporters."

The four shivered at the thought. They would take Grimm over reporters any day.

"Then what?" Jaune asked, looking around. "We ignore it until it goes away."

Two more knocks came. Sharp and strong. There was a firmness to them which told them whoever was knocking would not be deterred.

"It's okay," a voice came from the other side of the door. "It's me."

"General Ironwood," Weiss hissed in surprise. "How did he know where to find us?"

"He's an Atlas General and has almost full command over Vale's forces since we took back Beacon," Blake said, shrugging. "It wouldn't surprise me if he had someone tailing us from the moment we set foot in the city."

"What do we do then?" Ruby asked. "We can't just keep ignoring him."

Jaune sighed as he stood up. "Fine. I guess we'll see what he wants."

He moved to open the door with deliberate slowness, almost as if he wanted someone to stop him. No one did.

"General," Jaune greeted once he opened the door.

"Jaune," the general greeted back, extending his hand for a handshake which Jaune took. "It is good to see you."

"Likewise," Jaune lied. It wasn't that he didn't like Ironwood. If anything, Jaune had a lot of respect for the man. Everyone in the room did. While tempers had been running high in Atlas, once they had been able to talk things out, James Ironwood had proven himself to be an invaluable ally. Jaune would take him over Ozpin any day.

However, he had no desire to see or talk to the man right now.

It just wasn't the time for it.

"I must apologize for the interruption," Ironwood said, stepping into the living room. "Trust me when I say I understand you need time to yourselves right now, but certain matters cannot be postponed."

"What matters?" Ruby asked, blinking. It was a good thing she was the one who asked. The other three wouldn't have been able to stop themselves from coming across as too hostile.

"The parade, for one," Ironwood replied.

Many blinks followed.

"A… parade?" Jaune echoed.

"A parade. An award ceremony. A press conference. A party held in your honor. There are also several important figures in the city that have expressed an interest in meeting you and many more who are coming to see you."

"You cannot be serious," Blake said. Her cat ears stood unnaturally straight on top of her head. Her golden eyes had narrowed into slits.

Ironwood stared back at her, impassively. "I assure you I am serious. I understand you need rest. However, you are the heroes who defeated Salem. The people need to see you out there. They need to feel reassured by your presence. That is your duty right now."

They all understood he was right. In fact, they knew it without him having to tell them. They knew they were going to have to do all those things even before they returned to Vale. That wasn't the problem. The problem was…

"But it's a lie."

All eyes turned to Ruby. The young woman was looking down. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides.

"It's a lie. We aren't heroes. We didn't defeat Salem!"

Her pained words struck everyone in the room like physical blows. The truth they hadn't been able to bring themselves to talk about. The brutal reality they had no choice but to accept.

"Everything we did was for nothing!"

No one could object to those words. How could they when they were nothing but the truth? They all found themselves thinking back to what happened that day.

Their complete and utter defeat.

xXx

Jaune Arc fell to his knees, the fight completely gone from him.

"How?" Somehow he found the strength to speak. To ask how the sight he had seen was even possible. He couldn't understand it. He couldn't comprehend it.

How had the Gods died?

When they had been summoned, Jaune had been certain it was all over. He had been certain humanity was about to end, yet what had happened was equally terrible in its own way.

A soft laugh reached Jaune's ears. It was a calm laugh, peaceful and lacking an ounce of malice. It was not a sound that should come from someone so monstrous.

"How, you ask? Is it not obvious?"

She floated towards with him without a care in the world and with good reason. She was the one who had pulled Atlas out of the sky. She had razed Vacuo to the ground. She had taken the four Relics and harnessed their power. She had taken their best efforts and hadn't even bled.

She was Salem.

The woman who had killed the Gods right before their eyes.

"But…" Jaune scrambled to reject what had happened. "Ozpin said..."

Salem laughed again, though this time there was a hint of mocking there.

"Ozma? What did he tell you? That I did not understand the power I was trying to control? That I was blinded by my rage? That my arrogance would be my undoing? Did you ever believe those empty platitudes? Did you ever put any stock in them?"

He hadn't. Not after everything that had happened. Jaune was just desperate to deny the reality in front of him.

"No, you do not," Salem said, looking at her defeated foes. "I don't think any of you do."

Impotent glares were the only reply she received. Out of everyone, Jaune was the only one who had the strength to talk. Partly due to his large Aura, largely because Salem had prioritized the Maidens and Ruby during the fight.

"Ozma was a fool who could not find any strength in himself. Instead, he gave his powers to others, hoping they would do his job for him." Salem's eyes slid over to the barely conscious Yang and Nora. "Maidens." Then to Ruby who lay next to a broken wall, her arm bent at an odd angle. "Silver-Eyed Warriors. Useless. All of it a result of his own weakness."

They wanted to reject her words, to bare their fangs against her. But how could they when she had taken their best and brushed it aside?

"Unlike Ozma who gave most of his power away, I have spent thousands of years harnessing mine. I have studied the nature of creation and destruction further than anyone. While he wasted time, I brought my power to new heights to realize my goal."

To kill the Gods. Jaune realized that now. It had never been about killing Ozpin. It had never been about humanity or the Grimm.

It hadn't been about them at all.

From the very start, they hadn't mattered.

"Still, I must admit it would have taken far longer without Jinn's aid."

"Impossible." It was Weiss who spoke. She was bleeding from the side of her face. Her weapon lay broken next to her. Even so, she glared fiercely. "All three questions were used up. It should have taken a hundred years for the Relic to recharge."

"Child, out of anyone here, I would have expected you to understand. Time dilation is one of your skills, is it not? Creating a confined space where time passes at a greater speed was a simple matter. A hundred years went by in a mere day."

"A hundred years in a day? No, you cannot speed up time by such a large factor!"

"No, your limited Semblance cannot do something like that," Salem corrected her. "I have honed my craft for longer than your race has been alive. I daresay Ozma could have come up with the idea if he hadn't been so busy hiding the Relics. Of course, even if he had thought of it, he would have lacked the power to do so. How pitiful of him."

It sounded insane to Jaune. A hundred years. Salem had used her magic to do what Weiss' Semblance did but on a much grander scale. She had made a hundred years go by for the Relic in a day.

"You have had the Relic of Knowledge for months," Jaune said with horrible realization.

Salem smiled.

"Quite. Like I said, Jinn was a most helpful assistant. She revealed so much I did not yet know about creation and destruction. I went through so many scenarios with her until I found one that would work."

It sounded so simple. Salem had thousands of years to plan her revenge. With the Relic of Knowledge in her possession and effectively infinite questions, Salem just had to run her plans by Jinn. Little by little, she had removed the probability of failure until she had done… whatever it was she had done. Jaune still wasn't quite sure what he had seen.

"What will you do now?" His question sounded like a plea for mercy, and Jaune hated himself for that. Still, it did not change what was. The Gods were gone. The Relics were gone.

Only Salem remained.

If she wanted to kill them all right now, she could. Oh sure, they'd try to stand one last time, but they'd die all the same. If Salem wanted, she could just go and kill every human on the planet. Jaune found himself wondering why she hadn't done that from the start.

"Now? Now it is over." Salem looked up at the sky. "After so long, everything is over."

Panic gripped Jaune's heart. "Then…?"

"I will die at last."

What?

"What?"

"The Gods are gone and with them their curse.," Salem said closing her eyes, a melancholic look on her face. "It is finally time for me to pass away."

She was lying. She had to be. Jaune didn't want to believe it.

Yet he could see cracks starting to appear on her skin. The incredible power that had been radiating from her grew smaller by the second.

Salem was dying.

"Why?"

It didn't make sense. Nothing about this made sense!

"Are you truly so surprised? What did you expect me to do? To destroy your race? To rule over you for eternity? No, child. I do not care enough to bother with such things. I have already lived too long. I am tired, and now I rest."

Jaune watched as Salem crumbled to dust before his eyes, the effect of the curse of immortality fading away.

The last expression he saw on her face was an utterly content smile.

The smile of a victor.

xXx

As far as the rest of the world was concerned, brave heroes had gone into the Grimmlands and returned as victors. That could not be further from the truth. Eight heroes had gone in, but they hadn't won. The bad guys had won and to make it all worse…

"Nothing we did mattered," Ruby said.

Pyrrha Nikos. Penny Polendina. Qrow Branwen. Winter Schnee. Maria Calavera. Raven Branwen. Ilia Amitola. Sun Wukong. Cardin Winchester. Peter Port. Jacques and Willow Schnee. So many people had died in the war against Salem. It would have been one thing if they had been able to give those deaths meaning, but the truth was too cruel.

Salem had won, and nothing bad had happened.

If anything, Salem's goals had been of benefit to humanity as a whole. With the Gods gone, the people of Remnant no longer faced the threat of extinction whenever the Gods felt like returning. With Salem gone, there was no hand guiding the actions of the Grimm. Maddening as it was to admit, Salem's goals did not contain a single downside for them.

Had they let Salem have what she wanted from the start, everything could have been avoided. Had Salem and Ozpin been able to talk things out, nothing bad would have happened.

Instead, the entire world had been dragged into their fight. Ozpin could not trust Salem, so he raised defenders to send against her. Salem was not interested in talking to Ozpin, so she merely tore the walls he build again and again until she finally got what she wanted, uncaring of who suffered.

Meaningless. All those battles. All those sacrifices.

They had been absolutely meaningless from the start.

"How can you want us to stand before everyone and lie to them? How can you expect us to just smile and receive praise and rewards we don't deserve?" Ruby asked the general.

"What would you rather do?" Ironwood asked. "Stand before everyone and tell the truth. That all those deaths were for nothing? That evil won, and it did not matter? Gods exist, and now they're dead? How do you think people will react to that in such a sensitive time?"

Confused. Angry. Scared. Those emotions would attract Grimm by the hundreds. Weakened as the kingdoms were right now, it was something that could have tragic consequences.

They all understood that without having to be told by Ironwood.

That did not mean they had to like it.

Ironwood sighed. "I cannot stop you from doing what you want. I do, however, implore you to think about the consequences of your actions. Remnant needs heroes. It doesn't matter whether they are real or fake."

Ironwood turned to leave. When he reached the door, he stopped for a moment. "The ceremony will be at Beacon in two days. I pray you'll make the right choice."

He left the room as briskly as he had come, leaving four silent people behind.

"What do we do now?" Blake asked, looking around the room. No one had taken Ironwood's words well. The faunus did not want to imagine how this conversation would have gone if Yang and Nora had been in the room.

Weiss sighed. "In a way, this is a good thing. We have no choice but to talk about it now. Ironwood even gave us a time limit."

Stay or go. Tell everyone the truth or comforting lie.

They had to make a choice.

"I think," Jaune said, knowing what he was about to say wasn't going to go over well with everyone, "Ironwood has a point. If we tell people what really happened, it will just cause panic and confusion. Some might even think we're crazy. I don't like this, but I don't think there is a better choice. We just got to take it."

Weiss was not impressed.

"Of course you would be okay with a plan that involves lying to everyone," she scoffed. "You always default to the morally dubious."

Jaune hid a wince. His fake transcripts were something they had gotten past a long time ago. However, tempers were fraying, and when people were like that, everything was fair game. Even the past.

"He's not wrong." To Jaune's surprise, Blake came to his defense. "Telling the truth might sound good, but the consequences will only hurt everyone else. It's just meaningless self-satisfaction on our part."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought you would know better than to rely on lies after what happened to your father's reputation in Mistral."

Blake narrowed her eyes. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Before Atlas had fallen, the CCT had come back for one last night, courtesy of Arthur Watts. The disgraced Atlesian scientist had taken the opportunity to air the kingdoms' dirty laundry for all to see. The truth behind Leonardo Lionheart was one of the secrets revealed. The whole world learned of his betrayal that night.

While the fall of Atlas took some of the attention away from that revelation, it wasn't long before the people of Mistral were able to focus on it. The headmaster of Haven who was also a member of the Council had betrayed humanity.

A faunus had betrayed them all.

It didn't help that Ghira's new White Fang had received a large amount of credit for fighting alongside Leo to save Haven. After all, if the tales of Leo's heroism were fake, why couldn't the tales of Ghira's deeds be false as well? What if the faunus had confabulated with Salem to set themselves up as heroes in the eyes of the people only to betray them when they needed them most? It was only natural for people to think that way.

Racism in Mistral, which had been decreasing after the Battle of Haven, rose once more. Ghira Belladonna's reputation took a hard hit after that with people openly accusing him of colluding with Salem. His efforts to end discrimination had been set back decades in a single night.

It was definitely not something Blake wanted to be reminded of.

"The situation is not the same," Jaune said before an argument could begin. "We all knew hiding the truth about Leo was a bad idea. That lie could only last as long as Salem felt like letting it."

Yet they had all gone along with it, trusting Ozpin to know better.

"This is different. Ironwood is the only other person who knows about this, and he's not going to talk. No one else is going to find out unless we tell them."

"So what? We hide this from everyone because we think we know better?" Ruby asked, head held between her hands. "Isn't that what we didn't like most about the way Ozpin did things? Are we just going to take his place now?"

Jaune and Blake traded glances. It was clear now that the room was split as to what the correct course of action was. There was a chance Weiss was being argumentative because she Weiss. However, Ruby's position was quite clear. She was too honest for anything else.

"I think it would be better if we waited for the others to get back," Blake said diplomatically. "It is one thing to talk about it, but we cannot make a decision without their input. They deserve to have their say."

Outwardly, it was a completely reasonable thing to say. However, Jaune knew better. Waiting for the others to arrive meant waiting for Ren and Nora. Those two would go along with whatever he decided. It wasn't a level of loyalty Jaune felt he deserved, but it was what it was. There was a chance Yang would side with Ruby as she often did, but even then, it would be four against three. If they could turn this into a vote, that would be it.

Judging by the way Weiss narrowed her eyes, she understood what Blake was after as well.

It was funny in a sad way. They were people who had fought and bled together, yet now, this decision could very well turn them against each other.

"Blake is right," Jaune said before Weiss could speak. "Besides, that is not our only problem. Remember Oscar?"

The others flinched, and Jaune felt like a heel for using Oscar's unfortunate condition like this.

"I talked to the doctors before coming here," Jaune said, shaking his head. "They don't know when he will wake or if he ever will."

"And him waking up is not necessarily a good thing," Blake said. She scoffed at their shocked looks. "I am not saying I want him to never wake up, but think. Ozpin has spent thousands of years fighting Salem. What do you think he will do now that he knows it was all for nothing? As bad as we feel now, I guarantee it is nothing compared to what Ozpin is going through."

"But it should be fine now, right?" Ruby asked. "I mean, Ozpin is gone so he'll just be Oscar. Won't he?"

"Who knows? Salem and Ozpin had different curses. Maybe his soul flew right out of Oscar when the Gods died, Maybe he gets one last life as Oscar," Jaune said.

"Even if Ozpin is gone, I don't think it will matter much," Blake said, crossing her arms. "Either it is Oscar with Ozpin's soul, or it is Oscar with thousands of years of memories not his own. We all know how he was acting towards the end."

Thousands of years vs. fourteen. It was not even a competition. From the very start, there had only been one possible outcome for Oscar. Being completely subsumed by Oz.

What exactly would happen if he ever woke up was not something any of them wanted to talk about.

"I guess…" Ruby took a deep breath. "I guess we can wait until the others come back. That might be for the best."

"Okay then…"

"I'll…"

"Yeah…"

With awkward half-formed sentences, the group dispersed. Ruby left to claim one of the rooms upstairs, likely to sleep. She had been sleeping a lot lately. It wasn't just because she was mentally exhausted. She simply didn't know what to do with herself. Weiss followed after her, likely to offer some comforting words.

In the end, it was just Jaune and Blake in the living room.

"That could have gone better."

"You can say that again."

Jaune groaned as he buried his face between his hands. "What's wrong with us? This should not be this hard. We should be able to talk things out. We're friends!"

"We are friends who are very stressed out," Blake pointed out. The faunus had the bags under her eyes to prove it. "For what it is worth, I don't think it is as bad as you're thinking."

"It isn't?"

"No. Weiss will be able to convince Ruby."

Jaune blinked. "She didn't exactly look like she agreed with us just now."

"That's because she is Weiss. She is looking at the problem from every possible angle and pointing out every problem she sees. She wants to make sure we have thought about every possibility before we make a choice."

When Blake laid it out like that, Jaune could not deny it sounded like something Weiss would do.

"Weiss is smart. She knows this is the only choice we can make right now. When the time comes, she'll be able to convince Ruby. Everything else will follow."

"Still," Jaune said, leaning back into the couch. "I don't think Ruby will be able to live with a choice like that easily."

"None of us will."

"True."

It was like a bad joke. Jaune had wanted to be a hero for so long, yet it seemed he was going to have to live his life as a fake one.

Being a fake was shaping up to be a lot harder than he had ever imagined.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **This is the most one-shot-like chapter I have done in a while. I say that in the sense that it is something that I feel can stand on its own just fine without the need for a continuation.**

 **Anyway, the idea is simple. Salem wins, and nothing horrible happens. She kills the Gods and dies. Meanwhile, our heroes have lost a lot in the fight against Salem, and now they have to go along with a farce. Also, yes, Nora and Yang are Maidens. I like the idea of them getting that power up.**

 **This one is less Jaune-centric than the other chapters. Here he works first as a viewpoint character, then as the one who is flexible enough to go along with the lie. Ruby, meanwhile, is the one who takes the whole thing the hardest.**

 **Like I said earlier, I don't think this one needs a continuation. If I made one, it would deal with everyone getting used to their new status as world saviors and their own feelings on that. Some would obviously deal with the whole thing better than others which may cause friction between them in the future.**

 **'till next time!**


	13. Red vs Red

**Since it has been asked, I will say I am open to considering ideas left by reviewers. I'm not saying, "Leave a request, and I'll do it" I can't promise that sort of thing. I am saying, "If you leave an idea, I'll think about it."**

 **That said, Sturdivant, if I ever did a fic where Jaune is the only guy with Aura, it'd be harem-y.**

 **Hell, it'd be downright porny.**

 **It's like having a scorpion as a pet. You remove the poison to make it safe, but in doing so, you take away part of its charm. I can't do that. Gotta have my poison.**

 **But that's enough weird metaphors for one day. Let's do this!**

* * *

 **Red vs Red**

* * *

Once upon a time, there had been kings and emperors, knights and nobles. The Kingdom of Vale had been rich and prosperous, and the Basile family had been the envy of all who lived there. Wealth, land, power, and titles. There was little they did not have. In terms of status, it was said they were second only to the royal family.

When the Great War erupted, many protested against the actions of the King of Vale. The war was more trouble than it was worth, they said. Too much money was being used. Too many lives were being wasted. Let Mistral keep Eastern Sanus, they said. Better to appease Mistral and Mantle than risk losing everything to the combined might of the two kingdoms.

The Basiles wouldn't have it.

"Mantle's madness must be stopped!" Duke Giambattista Basile declared loudly at court one famous evening. There was no negotiating with Mantle, no reasoning with them. If Vale did not stop them, they would find themselves living under Mantle's rule with music, painting, and literature forever lost to them.

Many members of the Basile family died during the Great War. They could have remained safe behind their walls, but they chose to fight to defend the kingdom's freedom. Without a doubt, they were admirable.

Then the Great War ended.

If you asked most history teachers, they would tell you the Great War ended in a decisive victory for Vale. However, there were losers and winners on both sides. After the peace talks in Vytal, nobles across the world got the shock of a lifetime.

The rulers of the four kingdoms were all stepping down. Monarchy was at an end.

Nobility was being abolished.

Lands, titles, privileges. The noble class lost all those things, and the Basile Family was no different. Many would have seen that as a horrible betrayal from the King of Vale. Indeed, many did see it like that. Many cursed his name to their dying breath and would have risen in revolt against him had his power not been so indisputable. However, the Basile family was not among that number. They merely accepted the new way of things, not happily, but they accepted it all the same.

The Basiles handled the transition better than most. While much of their wealth had been used to support the war effort, they were wise with what remained of it and made many smart investments. They would never again command the same level of influence, but they were able to establish themselves as respectable Dust traders in the post-Great War era.

Decades later, the Faunus Rights Revolution began.

An attempt by Mistral to vanish all the faunus in their lands to the island of Menagerie. It started out with government programs that encouraged faunus migration. However, it soon escalated to forced deportation. The faunus rose up in revolt, leading to a fierce war between humans and faunus.

While Mistral was the first Kingdom that resorted to the forced deportation of faunus, it was far from the only kingdom interested in doing so. Even in Vale, there was talk of implementing similar measures. They were still just murmurs, but depending on how things developed in Mistral, that could change.

To stop such injustice from happening, the Basile family had supported the faunus in Mistral by secretly sending money to them with which to buy food and weapons. They were hardly the only humans who aided the faunus during the war. Many sympathized with the plight of the faunus. Still, the monetary contributions made by the Basile family undeniably made a difference.

The faunus won the war against Mistral and protected their rights as citizens. In the aftermath, the White Fang was founded to make sure humans kept their word. As for the humans that had helped the faunus during the war, well, they became another lesser known detail in the history of Remnant, a piece of trivia that wasn't commonly taught at schools.

That was when the Basile family faced its second upheaval. They had used a lot of their wealth to support the faunus during the war and had been left in a weakened state. However, they had been confident in being able to make that money back. Dust was, after all, a very profitable business.

They had not counted on the SDC beginning its expansion into Vale. They could not foresee Jacques Schnee's utterly ruthless business tactics as he sought to gain a monopoly over Dust trade in Vale.

It was a war.

No blood may have been shed, and no weapons may have been drawn, but it was undoubtedly a war. A brutal, vicious war which Jacques Schnee won.

By the time the woman who would one day call herself Cinder Fall was born, the Basile family fortune could no longer be called that. The family barely controlled a few Dust shops in Vale. Her mother died shortly after she was born, and her grandparents passed away before she was five.

Even so, she could have been happy with that. She could have accepted that life.

Her father had been a good man. Kind and hardworking. He resented the fall of his family but rarely let it get to him. It was rare to see him without a smile on his face. From him, the woman who would one day be Cinder had learned how to read, write, and weave Dust into clothing to make it prettier. He taught her how to sing, which she did not enjoy much, and he taught her how to dance, which she did.

She could have been happy living like that.

However, _that woman_ had come into their lives.

She had fooled her father with her looks, with her smiles and her tears. Her father shown kindness where he should have been firm. He had been merciful where he should have been cruel. Worse of all, the foolish man allowed himself to fall in love with that horrid witch.

He married her.

If there was one thing she allowed herself to hold against her father, it was that. He had married that woman, and she had ruined him. That woman had come in with her step-daughters and taken what little they had.

She had taken her father.

Illness, the doctors said, but she knew better. Not that anyone would listen to a child. Not that it mattered what she had to say because her stepmother had soon thrown her out into the streets.

On that day, as the rain mixed with the dirt and became mud on her clothes, she made a vow.

She would not be weak, not like her father. Not like the rest of her family. She would never put the needs of others above hers. Her family had done that and look where it got them! The King of Vale had not repaid their loyalty, and the faunus cared for nothing but their own misery! No, she would not be weak like her family had been. She would be strong. She would be powerful. She would be feared!

One day, she would take back everything that belonged to her!

On that day, Cinder Fall was born.

With nothing but the clothes on her back and the scant lien in her pockets, Cinder had done her best to survive in the streets of Vale. Many would have broken under the pressure and wallowed in despair. Not Cinder. Anger and hatred kept her going, and she made sure that fire was always stoked.

The first few months had been hard. There had been many days where she had gone without food and nights where she had slept on the cold, hard concrete of the streets. There had been many close calls. Bands of thugs. Wild dogs. Drunks. Still, Cinder had prevailed. She listened to the other homeless and learned from them. She learned what shops were more likely to give old food to an orphan like her. She learned how to steal and how to defend what was hers.

She grew strong.

Saving enough money to pay to have her Aura unlocked meant going many days with barely enough food to scrape by, but the result had been worth it. With Aura, Cinder was no longer one among the masses. She was strong, special, and she had used her father's lessons on Dust weaving in ways he probably had never expected her to.

In time, Cinder became an enforcer for one of the local gangs, one which she eventually took over. She was always careful about not making too many waves in the criminal underworld. Throughout her entire criminal carrier, Cinder allowed herself just one big, flashy crime.

A burned house. Three people dead. A tragic accident as far as anyone was aware of.

Cinder would treasure the dying screams of that woman and her daughters to her dying day.

Cinder washed her hands of crime that day. She had done what she wanted to do, and it was time to move on. While a life of crime was not something she had moral objections against, there were just so many better paths available for someone as gifted as her.

Like becoming a huntress.

Beacon called to her, and Cinder had already aced the test to gain access to the Initiation. She could see her future clearly. With her skills, passing would be child's play. The soft fools that had been coddled by combat schools would be no match for her. She would gain a worthy partner and lead a team of strong, capable people. The Vytal Tournament would help her build a reputation. By the time she graduated, there would be more than enough wealthy people interested in hiring her services.

Cinder would get back all the power and glory her family had lost over the past eighty years.

That had been the plan.

"Argh!"

"Don't. Lower. Your. Shield."

Each word was punctuated by a slash of her blades, each hitting with more force until her foe fell on his ass.

"Get up," Cinder commanded.

Alas, her careful planning and efforts towards cultivating friendships the night before Beacon's Initiation had been useless. Professor Ozpin, for whatever insane reason, thought leaving things to pure chance was the best way to select what group of people would be together for the next four years.

It was idiotic.

Cinder understood the element of chance was something huntsmen and huntresses would often deal with in the field. But surely there was a better way to test how well they dealt with random chance than catapulting them into the Emerald Forest to be paired with the first schmuck they made eye contact with?

For Cinder Fall, that schmuck had been Jaune Arc.

Cinder had been planning to seek out Yang Xiao Long. The girl moved with natural confidence and grace. Her little sister had also been another option. While not her first choice, the girl had been accepted into Beacon two years early. There had to be a reason for that. Then there was the Schnee who… No, the Schnee had never been an option. Cinder's grudge against her family aside, the girl was far too entitled to be of use to her.

All of Cinder's plans, however, were for naught. She had barely run five yards into the Emerald Forest when Jaune Arc fell in front of her, his arm broken. His landing strategy, if it could be called that, had been to stab the nearest tree and pray for upper body strength.

His prayers had gone unanswered or perhaps not, considering he had managed to survive. He had been hovering on the edge of consciousness, but his eyes, unfortunately, had been open.

Kind of like now.

Jaune Arc swayed on his feet and tried not to faint. Cinder allowed him a moment to regain his bearing. The rooftop was silent save for the sound of his breathing. After a moment, he raised his sword and shield and nodded at her. Others would have long quit by now, but Jaune Arc did not give up easily. That, at least, he had going for him.

Shame it was the only thing he had going for him.

Back then, Jaune had mustered enough strength to ask for her help, and she had given it, though not out of the goodness of her heart. There were likely to be cameras watching, and it wouldn't do for her to be seen leaving a wounded person in a forest full of Grimm. That would surely mean his death and her disqualification. Cinder had unlocked Jaune's Aura which had been large enough to start mending his injuries even if she did have to set his arm straight first.

His girly scream of pain had brought a measure of comfort to her that day. So annoying, yet so satisfying.

In hindsight, that he needed to have his Aura unlocked by her should have been a red flag. Had she known Jaune Arc was a fraud who could barely swing a sword back then, she would have left him to die. It was no less than he deserved for so foolishly trying to enter the world of huntsmen.

To think Ozpin had the gall to make the bumbling fool the leader of her team!

When she had first heard the announcement, Cinder had been furious. However, she hadn't objected to the decision like she knew the Schnee wanted to do. Ozpin did not seem like the type of person who changed his mind easily.

Instead, Cinder planned to play around the problem of Jaune's leadership. Jaune could play the leader all he wanted, but she would be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Once again, her plans hit a snag. Her teammates, for whatever reason, liked the idiot that was Jaune Arc.

It made no sense. Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie were clearly capable fighters. The girl was too flighty for her own good, but the way she could swing her hammer more than made up for it. While not as strong as her, the two were far above the average first-year Beacon student. They should have realized what a pathetic waste of space Jaune Arc was.

However, due to some utterly inexplicable sorcery, Valkyrie had readily accepted Jaune's position as leader, and her friend had followed her lead. No matter how poorly he performed in spars or how unprepared he was for the coursework, their opinion of Jaune did not change.

Jaune Arc was the leader of Team AVLC, and there was nothing Cinder could do about it.

Finding out he used fake transcripts to enter Beacon should have been a happy occasion. It was exactly what she needed to get rid of her weak, annoying partner. She should have let Winchester run to the headmaster's office. Hell, she should have run there herself to tell him the news.

Yet she hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. What if Ozpin thought she had known from the start and was only reporting it now because Winchester had learned about it? What if Ozpin thought she had been covering for him? What if she wasn't assigned a new partner and her team ended up forbidden from taking part in the Vytal Tournament?

What if she was expelled?

While potentially satisfying, exposing Jaune would be too risky. Jaune's secret would need to remain as such, no matter how much Cinder wished otherwise.

After… having a few words with the Winchester heir to ensure his mouth remained shut, she decided to take her partner's training into her hands. He was far from her ideal partner, but she'd be damned if she let him remain that way. Jaune Arc would approach something resembling adequacy or die trying. Naturally, she had left him no choice in the matter.

Which led her to now.

Steel banged against Aura-reinforced, Dust-infused glass. His blows were strong, a consequence of his large Aura.

Such a shame strength alone was useless without skill.

Cinder effortless parried Jaune's blows, always diverting their trajectory with the least amount of force necessary. She allowed herself to give ground, letting Jaune tire himself out trying to hit her. It was only a matter of time until his exhaustion caught up to him. Sure enough, Jaune faltered for a fraction of a second.

To Cinder, that might as well have been an eternity.

In a flash, one of her glass swords forced his blade up. The other struck his wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon. Jaune's eyes barely had time to widen before her sword was at his throat. He sighed.

"I give," he said, raising his hands. Only then did Cinder lower her weapon and take a few steps back. She was about to motion him to get into position again—a benefit of his large Aura was that she could afford to spar with Jaune for quite a while before he ran out so long as she made sure not to strike his body with too much force—when the sound of clapping reached her ears.

"That was marvelous."

Hearing that voice was enough for Cinder to clench her jaw. She whirled around in an instant to face the intruder.

"Nikos," she said, her voice cold and distant.

Tall with hair like rubies, eyes like emeralds, and clad in gold. Pyrrha Nikos was someone who had been born blessed. She was gifted, not just with looks, but with luck and talent.

Four years ago, Pyrrha Nikos had come out of nowhere and conquered the Under 16 bracket of the Mistral Regional Tournament. She had then proceeded to do the same for the following three years even after growing out of the Under 16 bracket, easily overcoming opponents many years her senior.

Pyrrha Nikos had been in commercials, one movie, and was the face of young huntresses everywhere.

Cinder didn't care for her.

"Apologies," Nikos said with a smile she had likely spent many hours perfecting. "I did not mean to intrude on your training."

Yet she had.

"Why are you here, Nikos?" Cinder asked, more than a little heat creeping into her voice. It certainly wasn't because, at some point during their training session, Pyrrha Nikos had come in, decided to watch, and Cinder hadn't even noticed until Pyrrha chose to make her presence known.

Not at all.

"Cinder!" Jaune said, daring to frown at her. "Be nice. Pyrrha didn't mean to do anything bad."

Pyrrha beamed at him. "Thank you, Janue, but it's okay. I know it can be considered rude to intrude on other people's training. That's certainly how it is in Mistral."

What?

Since when was Jaune on a first name basis with one of the most famous athletes on the planet?

Since when did Pyrrha Nikos bother to learn the name of her useless partner?

"You two know each other," Cinder said, willing her weapons away. While giving away some of her skills was annoying, it was nothing Pyrrha wouldn't see on Goodwitch's class or the preliminary rounds of the tournament.

"Indeed," Pyrrha said. "Jaune and I met just the other week. He was very helpful."

She smiled as she said it, and the more she smiled, the more Cinder grew to hate that smile.

"It wasn't a big deal," Jaune said as he sheathed his weapon, likely realizing they would not be sparring in Pyrrha's presence any longer.

"Oh, it most certainly was," Pyrrha said. She aimed her next words at Cinder. "This is my first time in Vale, you see. I had gotten lost, and your partner was kind enough to help me find my way."

"More like we bumbled our way back to Beacon by sheer luck," Jaune countered, a hand resting on his hip. "It's not like I'm an expert on Vale. I only go there on weekends."

"Be that as it may, you knew your way around the city better than I. Your company certainly made me feel safer."

"Come on, Pyrrha. You're going to make me blush if you say stuff like that."

He _was_ blushing, Cinder noticed. Red that had nothing to do with exhaustion was slowly but surely creeping up his very punchable face as he looked down and scratched the back of his head. The biggest surprise, however, was Nikos who had not so subtly inched closer to her partner during their conversation.

Cinder cleared her throat. Loudly.

"You still haven't answered my question, Nikos." Jaune shot her a disapproving look. Cinder ignored it. "Why are you here?"

"Well, I was looking for Jaune, of course," the Invincible Girl said, smiling at Jaune who was quick to smile back. "I wanted to thank him for his help the other day. I found you two sparring and didn't want to interrupt. I see now it is you who is behind his rapid improvement since the beginning of the term."

"It is nothing special."

"Oh, but it is. His victory against Dove Bronzewing last week was quite impressive. It is heartening to see someone so devoted to letting her partner's potential shine."

The words may have been said to her, but they had clearly been said for Jaune's benefit.

"As teammates and partners, we place our lives in each other's hands," Cinder said through gritted teeth. "It would be foolish to neglect my partner's skills."

"Quite so," Pyrrha said. Something that Cinder didn't like at all flashed through Pyrrha's emerald eyes. "It pleases me to know Jaune is in such good hands for now."

For now?!

"If you only came here to express your gratitude towards my partner, then your task is done," Cinder said, drawing herself to her full height. The gesture was not as useful as she'd have liked. Pyrrha Nikos had more than a few inches on her.

"Nonsense," Pyrrha said with the same overly polite, infuriating smile Cinder knew to be fake. "A simple thank you will not do. I was thinking of inviting Jaune to a restaurant my manager recommended to me next Thursday."

"He's busy," the reply left Cinder's mouth before Jaune could even register Pyrrha's words.

"Friday then," Pyrrha said.

"Actually, I-"

"He will be busy that day and the day after as well," Cinder cut Jaune off. "The Vytal Festival approaches, and with it, our first field mission. I am sure you can understand the importance of _not wasting time_ during a time like this."

"I think-"

"Naturally." This time it was Pyrrha who did not let Jaune speak. "In that case, would you mind if I join your training? I believe my experience would be of use to him."

"Absolutely not!"

"Cinder!"

"You are not part of our team or even of the same school. I do not think it would be wise to allow you to learn more about us than you already know," Cinder said, ignoring Jaune's attempt to stop her from speaking.

Rather than looking offended, Pyrrha's eyes shined a little brighter. This time, Cinder was able to recognize the emotion behind them.

Amusement.

The Invincible Girl found this amusing, found _her_ amusing. Rage burned in Cinder's gut, and for a moment she wanted nothing more than to burn the privileged girl in front of her.

"Of course," Pyrrha said, not sounding the slightest bit inconvenienced. "I see now I overstepped my boundaries. I will leave you to your training then. See you tomorrow, Jaune."

With a wave her partner foolishly returned, Pyrrha Nikos left them alone on the roof once more.

"What was that about?" Jaune asked, rounding on her. "You didn't have to be so rude to her. Pyrrha was just trying to be nice. Ugh, this is why the other teams don't want to hang out with us, you know?"

"What was that about?" Cinder hissed, grabbing him by the hoodie. "That's what I should be asking? Why did you not tell me you know Pyrrha Nikos?"

Jaune had the audacity to look confused. "I did tell you. Remember? I told you how a girl and I got lost in Vale, and we had to find our way back to Beacon."

Cinder stared at him, unblinking. He might have said that. He might not have. She usually didn't pay much attention to his attempts at small talk. "And you neglected to mention this girl was Pyrrha Nikos?"

"I didn't think you'd be interested in her name," Jaune said, shrugging. "What? Is Pyrrha important or something?"

"Is she… Is she important? Are you really so ignorant?" Cinder pushed Jaune away and once more cursed the fate that had left her stuck with him. "She's the four-time winner of the Mistral Regional Championship. She's the most well-known athlete of our generation and a favorite to win the Vytal Tournament!"

Jaune went silent for a while.

"Oh. Yeah, that sounds pretty important."

Cinder refrained from punching him. His Aura was still at 20% so it wouldn't hurt him nearly as much as she wanted.

"Of course, she's important, you fool! That's why it makes no sense for her to take an interest in you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what you think. Pyrrha Nikos is Pyrrha Nikos, and you are, sadly, you," Cinder replied without mercy. She turned away and started pacing around the roof. "She wouldn't take an interest in you unless she were working some sort of angle, but what could it be? Does she think we're a threat? Perhaps, but so are other teams, so why approach us and why through you?"

"Can't she just be a nice girl who wanted to do something nice," Jaune asked, making Cinder roll her eyes.

"Of course, you'd think that," Cinder scoffed.

Jaune Arc was a naive fool who was easily led astray. He was the type of person who wanted to think the best of everyone and had a marked weakness for a pretty face as his interactions with the Schnee heiress demonstrated. The fool would probably keep on believing Nikos was actually a nice person.

Just like…

Cinder took a literal and metaphorical step back at that moment. No. That was not a thought that needed finishing. That was not a comparison that needed making.

Jaune Arc was an idiot. That was all there was to it.

"But seriously, you're going to need to apologize to her. You know that, right? We can't have a repeat of the Velvet thing, Cinder. I still have nightmares about that, you know? Plus, Pyrrha is super nice. There's no way she has a secret agenda."

xXx

Pyrrha had a secret agenda.

"Hello again," she said to Mercury and Emerald as she skipped into their shared room with a smile on her face. "Oh, you made my bed." She frowned. "You shouldn't have. How many times have I told you that you two don't need to do stuff like that? You already have enough on your plate."

Besides, did she look like the type of person who couldn't make her own bed? Pyrrha Nikos did not need to be pampered. She already got enough of that from her mother.

"Nonsense, ma'am," Emerald said, walking up to her and holding her hands in hers. "It was no trouble at all. We're happy to be of use to you."

Pyrrha sighed even as she gently freed her hands from Emerald's grip. "Emerald, your loyalty is touching, but you both have your own jobs to take care of. You don't need to waste time on me."

"About that," Mercury said, moving so he stood beside Emerald. "We have added two more names to the list and finished going through all the first and second years. The third and fourth-year classes are much smaller. They won't take as much time to investigate… so it should be fine if we do some stuff to make your life easier, ma'am."

Emerald nodded. "See? Mercury agrees with me."

"You two spoil me," Pyrrha said, even as she tried to fight a smile. Really, the two were just so earnest. She'd have to get a nice gift for Uncle Watts. She'd have never found these two if not for him.

"Well, you saved me from my asshole father, so fair is fair," Mercury said, shrugging as if to say it wasn't a big deal.

"And you saved me from a life in streets," Emerald said, not so subtly nudging Mercury away. "And you saved me first."

"Ever heard of saving the best for last?"

"Yeah, from every last place ever."

"Now, now," Pyrrha said, placing her hands on their shoulders. "We're all family here. You know I don't like it when you fight. Understood?"

"Yes, Pyrrha," the two said in unison, looking for all the world like scolded children.

"That's better," Pyrrha said with a beaming smile on her face. "Now, I do hate to inconvenience you, but I need you to let me have the room for a moment."

"Of course, ma'am!"

"Right away!"

Pyrrha shook her head as she watched them go, each one eager to beat the other to the door. They could be a handful sometimes, but their heart was in the right place.

Once they had closed the door behind them, Pyrrha used her Semblance to release a magnetic field that she knew caused surveillance equipment to malfunction. Once that was done, she closed the blinds and dug a backpack from under her bed.

"Come out, Mr. Delphi. It's safe now."

What came out of the backpack was not a cat or a cute corgi.

It was a Grimm.

With its small, spherical body and long tentacles, it almost looked like a jellyfish. However, the bone white plates covering bits of its body and the long spikes at the end of each tentacle told the truth. This was no mere animal. It was a Grimm, a creature of anonymity who desired nothing more than to destroy all mankind.

Pyrrha snuggled it against her chest.

"I am sorry for keeping you cooped up in there," she cooed. The Grimm clicked and clacked in reply, placing a comforting tentacle on the girl's shoulder.

"You are too nice, Mr. Delphi," Pyrrha said, softly petting the Seer. "Would you be so kind as to call mother for me?"

The Grimm clacked again, floating away from Pyrrha as the girl let go of it. Red light swirled in its body as Pyrrha patiently waited for the connection to be made.

Once upon a time, there had been a girl on a cruise with her family. Once upon a time, there had been pirates. There had been blood and death, pain and misery for all. When all was said and done, and the screaming had stopped, the little girl ended up drifting across the sea, struggling to stay afloat.

The little girl should have died back then

She hadn't.

A Grimm, larger than any house, had emerged from the dark depths and carried her on its back. It took the little girl to the nearest coast where she was picked up by a Nevermore. The Nevermore flew off with the little girl held in its claws until it reached a place with a black sky and red clouds, a place where purple rocks like knives rose from the blackened earth.

It took her to her mother.

"It is good to see you, mother," Pyrrha said, her smile growing as the face of Salem, Queen of All Grimm, appeared from within the dark depths of the Seer's body. Others would have fled at the sight of Salem. A few would have foolishly showed defiance. However, Pyrrha felt nothing but love for the woman.

It was Salem who had rescued her from certain death. It was Salem who had taught her and raised her. Salem was, as far as Pyrrha was concerned, her mother in everything but blood, a minor detail that could easily be fixed once she was fully grown or so her mother had once told her.

"It is good to see you as well, my child," Salem replied in a warm, motherly tone. "Tell me, how go things at Beacon?"

"The search for the Maiden goes well," Pyrrha said, feeling guilty that were it not for her incompetence, they would already have the Maiden's powers.

Had she been quicker to defeat Amber, Qrow Branwen would have never gotten the chance to save her, and Pyrrha wouldn't have ended up as half a Maiden. While there was always a chance Ozpin would pick her as the next Fall Maiden due to her reputation, Pyrrha would rather not rely on that.

"We have compiled a list of the students Ozpin is most likely to select as the next Maiden. Emerald and Mercury have been most helpful in that endeavor."

"Who? Oh, yes. The children Watts located if I am not mistaken."

"Yes, mother." Pyrrha nodded. "They are diligent workers and have made this task far easier than it would have been were I on my own."

"I see," Salem leaned in, her hands steepled together. "And do you enjoy their company?"

"Naturally. They are good friends."

"Then I will have to congratulate Watts for discovering them. It does a mother good to know her daughter is in good company."

"I am fairly sure he would love that," Pyrrha replied. She was not quite sure if Uncle Tyrian would like it, though. The two could get so silly when competing with each other over who was the favorite one. "Ah, about the breach-"

"Enough about that for now," Salem said, waving a hand. "If you say things go well, I believe you. If not, Ozpin is bound to reveal his hand eventually."

"He will," Pyrrha assured her mother with a serious look on her face. "Preparations have already been made to insert Uncle Watt's virus into the CCT and-"

"Dear, please. I already said I trust you," Salem said, her voice kind but firm. "No, that's enough about those topics. What I want to know is how are you doing? Do you enjoy life at Beacon? Have you made any new friends?" A teasing smile appeared on the face of the Queen of All Grimm. "Any boys?"

"Mom!" Pyrrha whined.

"That was not a no, dear."

"Well…" Pyrrha blushed and looked away. "There might be one. A boy, I mean."

"Oh, do tell!" Salem clapped excitedly. "Is he cute? Is he tall? Please tell me he's not smart. Smart men are the worst as I have often told you. They are always smart enough to make the dumbest choices."

"That has never made much sense to me."

"Oh, you will understand one day," Her mother replied with the authority of a woman who had lived far longer than her, "but let us not digress. We were talking about your boyfriend."

"Jaune's not my boyfriend!" In a quieter voice, Pyrrha added. "Not yet."

Salem stroked her chin. "Hm, so you are interested."

"I don't know. Maybe?" Pyrrha replied with no small amount of uncertainty. "I met him in Vale the other week. He had no idea who I was, and that was interesting."

Even Mercury and Emerald, who were the closest thing she had to friends, put her on a pedestal. Jaune hadn't.

"We ended up spending the whole day together. It was nice. He was nice."

And cute.

And had a great smile.

And an amazing ass.

"Aw, your first crush! How exciting!"

"Why as you taking this so well?!" Pyrrha asked, half wary, half mortified. "I expected you to be a little more… not okay with this."

"Why would you think like that? Because you are there to bring ruin to the Kingdom of Vale? Because the first man I ever loved betrayed me and destroyed everything he and I had build together?"

One of those things. It had definitely been one of those things. Pyrrha nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Pyrrha," Salem said. "You are a beautiful young woman. It would be foolish of me to try to keep you away from boys forever. As for your mission, well, there is no reason you can't have some fun while at it. Just remember to use protection."

"Mom!" Pyrrha shouted, her face as red as her hair. Salem just laughed.

"Oh, you're just adorable. Now, I do believe that is enough embarrassment for one day."

So it had been on purpose!

The talk drifted to safer topics after that. They talked about classes, about what she had been doing since they parted ways, and about how things were going back home. And yes, her mother still needled her about Jaune every now and then, making Pyrrha blush many times.

The talk between mother and daughter lasted well over an hour.

"We'll leave things here for today, but remember to bring pictures of your intended next time. I would hate to waste Doctor Watts' time by asking him to run a background check."

She was probably going to do it anyway.

"I promise I will, mother."

"I will hold you that. Goodbye, daughter."

"Bye, mom," Pyrrha said, waving as the transmission ended. Once it did, she sighed and let herself fall back on her bed, mortified and embarrassed in a way only parents can make their children.

Pyrrha thought about her mission. In spite of her initial failure, her mother still trusted her to get it done, and Pyrrha was not about to betray that trust. Even in the worst case scenario, the fall of Beacon would force Ozpin to reveal his Maiden, but Pyrrha would rather have something to show for her efforts before that. She was going to have to work harder to make that happen.

The image of Jaune's face appeared in her mind, and Pyrrha found her cheeks growing warm.

Pyrrha wouldn't say it was love at first sight, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in Jaune. She had certainly been interested enough to ask him out, a task in which she would have succeeded at were it not for his partner's hostility.

Pyrrha smiled a little as she thought of Cinder. It was hardly the first time people reacted with hostility to her. Some people held grudges. Others envied her fame. More than a few feared having to face her in the arena. Whether Cinder's behavior was born out of jealousy or resentment, it made no difference to Pyrrha.

The tall redhead stood and took a moment to admire herself in the mirror. Long legs, a beautiful face, and curves that she knew were the envy of many women. Pyrrha did not feel it was arrogant to say she was beautiful. Her mother had taught her to take pride in herself.

Some people were better than others, and Pyrrha was better than most.

If jealousy was what inspired Cinder's hostility towards her, Pyrrha could understand it. Cinder was undoubtedly attractive, but when compared to her… well, the word homely would suit her better.

Come to think of it, wasn't she part of the list?

A quick check on her scroll confirmed her suspicions. Cinder Fall. First year. Undefeated streak in combat class. There were rumors that she was sure to be the one her team chose if they managed to make it to the single rounds.

She was someone Ozpin was likely to consider as a Maiden candidate.

Oh well, regardless of how things developed, Cinder had already made herself an obstacle, and obstacles were something Pyrrha always overcame. Jaune would have to deal with the pain of losing his partner in addition to losing his school and the downfall of Vale, but Pyrrha would overcome that as well.

She was the Goddess of Victory after all.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Team AVLC (Avalanche): Arc, Valkyrie, Lie, and Cinder**

 **I apologize for this one barely having Jaune in it. Sure, he features a lot in the thoughts of Cinder and Pyrrha, but he doesn't really do much this time around. It didn't seem like it was going to end up that way when I was planning it, but it did.**

 **The idea for this one started while I was writing Turn, Turn, and Turn. I briefly considered Evil Pyrrha before deciding regular Pyrrha would work better for Turn, Turn, and Turn. The whole thing did leave me wanting to write Evil Pyrrha, though, and months later, here we are. Pyrrha has taken Cinder's place in this one-shot. The joke is that all the bad guys love Pyrrha more than they ever loved Cinder because even Evil Pyrrha is lovable like that.**

 **With Cinder, I wanted to try giving her a backstory that would tie her to the history of Remnant. The Great War. The SDC. The Faunus War. They all play a part in Cinder's misery. I wanted to make it so the reader could see how, in a different life where Salem got to her, Cinder could become someone completely willing to let the world burn. And yes, I made the Faunus Rights Revolution smaller in scale because Faunus vs. Mistral sounds more feasible than Faunus vs. The Four Kingdoms.**

 **As an aside, Giambattista Basile is the name of the guy credited with the earliest written European version (keyword) of Cinderella (or so wiki tells me). Seemed fitting to use his name.**

 **Anyway, the Cinder here is not as much of a sociopath as the canon one, but she's not exactly a good person either. In fact, she's still kind of an amoral bitch. She's also nowhere near as subtle as she thinks she is, and her behavior has caused some trouble with and for her team. That said, Jaune is grateful to her for training him.**

 **As for the hypothetical full story, not going to lie, this one would probably have a bad end.**

 **A bad end in the sense that Evil Pyrrha wins and Not so Evil Cinder loses.**

 **Anyway, till next time!**


	14. Time Again

**Something witty goes here.**

* * *

 **Time Again**

* * *

Jaune Arc did not care for time travel stories.

The cause could be traced back all the way to Thursday nights at the Arc household, more commonly known to the members of the family as Movie Night.

Every Arc took turns choosing a movie to watch. Jaune's father liked silly slice-of-life stuff. His mother loved serious dramas. Saphron enjoyed romantic comedies, and so did Jaune until Bleu ruined them for him. Meanwhile, Bleu, in spite of being the smartest of his sisters, liked neither documentaries nor science fiction. She preferred movies where all the characters were talking animals.

The ones who enjoyed science fiction the most in the Arc family were the twins, Blanche and Noire. They were particularly fond of time travel, which was really just a nice way of saying they were completely crazy about it.

The Arc family had ten people in it, which meant everyone got to pick a movie to watch as a family once every two months or so. However, the twins sharing the same taste in films meant the Arcs usually had to sit through one time travel movie per month.

It didn't sound that bad, but it was. It really was.

The twin somehow never got tired of time travel. Comedy or Action. Good or Bad. Bright colors or black and white. As long as it had time travel, nothing else mattered. For Jaune, who liked dumb action movies, this got old very fast.

It was always the same thing.

Time travel movies always felt the need to go into lectures regarding the rules of time travel, and those rules tended not to be all that different from each other. Hearing the same thing explained over and over in dozens of different ways made it lose its charm fast, especially because it was almost always the protagonist who needed everything explained to him or her.

After a while, Jaune even started to get angry at the protagonists for being so slow on the uptake. Seriously, why waste so many minutes explaining something the audience already knew?

It was dumb.

Right now, though. Jaune almost felt like thanking the twins for making him suffer through so many bad time travel movies. Maybe he'd see if he could get them tickets for that one concert mom never let them go to.

It was going to be announced in a couple of months, and the twins would plead and beg their case for many moons, but Marie Arc would not budge. They would try to sneak out of the house, but that wouldn't end well for them. Jaune was pretty sure the whole thing ended with them grounded for a full month.

Jaune knew all that was going to happen for the same reason there was a Limited Edition Pumpkin Pete: The Movie poster on his wall even though that thing had burned down when he was twelve due to an accident involving Saphron trying to sneak a dog into the house. You'd think the second eldest of the Arc children would know better but, in the immortal words of Ruby Rose, nope.

Jaune sighed.

He couldn't believe he was in the past.

He lied on his bed, wearing a blue onesie. The first rays of sunlight shined through his window, revealing the posters of his favorite movies and cartoons decorating the walls. There were piles of clothes under his bed, and two bookshelves filled to the brim lined the wall in front of him.

It was the way his room had looked like when he had been a kid. Everything was exactly as he remembered.

Unfortunately, so was he.

Jaune sighed as he looked at his too small hands. He had always been short for his age. It wasn't until he turned his sixteen that he hit his growth spurt. By the time he got to Beacon, he was tall but scraggly. It was only thanks to months of training with Pyrrha that he had filled out. A few more months on the road had turned him into what Nora had once called "Mr. Muscles."

Now, he was back to the starting point.

His arms were small and frail, and the rest of his body wasn't much better. His height was, well, Jaune was pretty sure he could pass for seven even though he was eleven. The blue onesie that was supposed to be for kids his age was a few sizes too large on him. It made him look, as his sisters would often say, adorable.

Just how had this happened?

Jaune crossed his arms behind his back, his mind carefully reviewing the events that led him to this point. He remembered infiltrating the Grimmlands with everyone to put an end to Salem once and for all. He remembered the fights against Salem's elite. Cinder. Tyrian. Hazel. Watts. They had all been fearsome foes, but they had defeated them one after another before coming face to face with Salem.

They had fought her with everything they had. Silver Eyes. Maiden Powers. The Relics. Atlas tech. What little remained of Ozpin's magic. Every broken combination of Semblances they could think of. Everything.

Jaune didn't remember what happened after that. He just… woke up here.

Had they lost?

The thought was like a ball of lead dropping inside him. All that effort. All that planning. Had it been worthless? If that was the case, how was he here? Jaune doubted Salem had sent him back in time.

But if not her, then who?

Jaune wildly scratched his head with both hands as he tried to come up with an explanation but kept coming up empty.

Stupid time travel!

He slapped his hands against his cheeks as he rose to a sitting position. Fine! It didn't matter how he had ended up back in time. What mattered was that he had, and that meant he had a second chance. He could do everything again, except this time he'd be ready!

Jaune's bright blue eyes shined with determination.

This time, he was going to do things right!

xXx

A twelve-year-old Jaune Arc washed the dishes the day after the twin's birthday party. No one had asked him to take care of the monumental pile. He had just volunteered.

A few months ago, that would have raised a few eyebrows, but by now, the Arc family was starting to get used to the change in their son.

"He's maturing," Jaune caught his father whispering to his mother once which wasn't that far from the truth. He had matured.

About a decade or so.

Returning to his childhood made Jaune realize how much he'd missed his family. He no longer fought to avoid doing his chores. He didn't fight it when his parents or older siblings hugged him in public because he was "too old for that stuff now." Whenever they asked him for help, he gladly gave it. One might even say he was spoiling them.

He had a great family. Why not make the best of his time with them?

Jaune smiled as he dried the dishes. The sky was shining. The birds were singing. By all appearances, it was a great day.

A great day in which he'd done nothing to change the future. Again.

His smile faded.

As it turned out, there weren't many things an eleven-year-old could do to change the future. Trying to convince his parents to train him had proved fruitless, and it wasn't like he could just run away from home. With his frail body and distinct lack of funds, Jaune would most likely die to the first Grimm he met. For better or worse, he was stuck.

That wasn't to say Jaune had been wasting his time, though.

Jaune had already unlocked his Aura. It had taken a few months since he didn't have anyone to unlock it for him, but he'd managed it, mostly by remembering Ren's meditation tips. His Semblance had come much more easily. In fact, once Jaune got over the hurdle of unlocking his Aura, things had just fallen into place. His control was as good as it had been before time-traveling.

Armed with his Aura and Semblance, Jaune had been free to train his body without worries. He was now considerably less scrawny than before, though he was still a far cry from what he had once been.

Practicing sword forms posed a harder challenge for Jaune. While his Aura seemingly remembered all the training he'd done to master it, the same could not be said for his body. Jaune's mind knew all the movements, yet his body refused to listen. Almost every afternoon, he practiced in a small clearing next to his house, using a branch in place of a sword and recording himself with his scroll. Sometimes, Jaune thought he'd gotten the moves right only to check himself on video later and feel horrified at how bad he was.

If he only he had a real teacher or even just someone to spar with, Jaune would be progressing much faster, but his parents were being stubborn about that. They had never been crazy about him wanting to become a Huntsman and discovering he had Aura hadn't changed things much.

"Maybe when you're older," they had told. It was a better answer than what he'd gotten the first time around, but it wasn't good enough.

Jaune wished he knew why they were so against it. There had never been a time for them to talk about it in his previous life, and he wasn't expecting them to open up about it to his twelve-year-old self.

The former leader of Team JNPR tried to tell himself that, in some ways, things might actually be better this way.

Even if he was out there, roughing it out in the wilderness, there wasn't much he could do to change things. He didn't know where Cinder was, and no one would believe him if he tried to tell them the headmaster of Haven Academy was a traitor, assuming Lionheart even was one at this point in time. Ozpin might believe him, but he might also think he was some sort of ploy by Salem.

Jaune would rather face Ozpin when he was capable of protecting himself.

There was also the matter of Jaune not knowing how his actions might affect the timeline. Running away from home didn't seem like the type of thing that would change much, but one never knew. The twins had made him suffer through enough time travel movies for him to know small changes tended to ripple into big ones.

There was definitely an argument to be made against changing things too much. For now, it wasn't wrong for him to just quietly get stronger.

At least, Jaune hoped it'd be okay that way.

Sighing, he put the last of the dishes he had been drying down. There. All clean and spotless. If only saving the world were that easy.

"I'm going to play outside, mom," Jaune called out. The Arc house was surrounded by a forest in which the Arc kids often played. Since they lived inside the city walls, they didn't have to worry about Grimm or dangerous animals. Jaune had been taking advantage of that to train in peace.

"Are done with the dishes?" Marie Arc asked from the living room where she was watching some show Jaune never paid much attention to. Something about maids and butlers and evil twins.

"Yes, mom!"

He was about to head for the door when he heard it.

" _We interrupt this program with a special announcement. Last night, CEO and owner of the Schnee Dust Company, Jacques Schnee, died after tragically falling down the stairs. His body was found this morning and subsequently taken to the morgue. This is, without a doubt, a dark day for Atlas. Jacques Schnee first rose to prominence after-"_

The woman kept talking, but Jaune wasn't listening anymore. His footsteps took him right to the living room. His eyes zeroed in on the screen where the face of Jacques Schnee was prominently displayed.

"I can't believe it," his mother said. "To think someone like that would die from a simple fall."

Jaune couldn't believe it either.

Jacques Schnee was supposed to die from a fall but not like this. He was supposed to die the day Atlas was brought down by Salem.

It didn't make any sense. By all accounts, the Jacques Schnee here was doing the same stuff as the Jacques Schnee Jaune knew of. Poor working conditions. Great PR team. Cut-throat business tactics. Everything in the past year had happened precisely as Jaune remembered.

Except Jacques Schnee was dead now

Somehow, the future had changed.

And Jaune had nothing to do with it.

xXx

Jaune was not the sort of person who bothered to memorize scroll numbers. Most people weren't. Why bother going through the trouble when you could just use your contact list?

As Jaune called number after number, he was starting to regret ever relying on his contact list.

He had been at it all afternoon without success. He had most likely gone over his minutes already, and his parents were sure to give him an earful later. Still, Jaune kept trying, racking his brain for the number. It had to be there somewhere. She had mentioned it more than once in conversation, often as a point of pride.

Not many people managed to keep the same number their whole lives.

It was nearly midnight when Jaune's breath got caught in his throat as pale skin like porcelain and hair as white as snow appeared in his scroll.

It was her.

Jaune opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. If he was right about this... If he was right about this...He couldn't waste this opportunity. He needed to say exactly the right thing, but what?

In the end, only six words made it out of his mouth.

"Snow Angel… long time no see."

Crystal blue eyes teared up.

"Jaune?"

xXx

It was amazing how easily things went after that.

Sure, he got one hell of a scolding from his parents for his "prank" calling, but less than a week later, a letter from the SDC came to his house announcing Jaune had won a special contest, the prize of which was a free tour of their facilities in Atlas. It even included first-class tickets for him and one chaperone.

Weiss was competent like that.

To say Jaune's family had been surprised would be an understatement. They had no idea a contest like that had even existed, let alone that Jaune had entered it. They thought it was a scam at first, but impassioned pleading from Jaune and a call from Weiss' butler had solved things. A couple of weeks later, Jaune was on a ship to Atlas with Saphron acting as his chaperone.

Jaune only half-paid attention to the guided tour, his body practically vibrating with excitement. Oh, how he wished he could just run all the way to the top floor and meet her already, but he had to be patient.

As the end of the tour came, the guide told Saphron that the next part was a one on one meeting with the head of the SDC. Only the contest winner was allowed to go in. Saphron had been hesitant to let him out of her sight, but Jaune reminded her that he was twelve not four.

He may also have begged a little.

Saphron could never say no to a good beg. It was why she always spoiled him.

As Jaune was led all the way to the top, he could hear his heart beating loudly on his ears. His throat was dry. He couldn't believe he was reacting like this to something so simple. He couldn't believe he hadn't realized how much he had missed them.

He saw her the moment he entered the office. Younger and even shorter, yet undeniably her. The name left his lips like a prayer.

"Weiss."

"Jaune."

The two had their arms around each other in an instant. Jaune didn't even realize he had moved until they met in the middle of the room. They held each other so tightly it almost hurt, yet neither let go.

After having gone through so many horrors in their quest to defeat Salem. After not having anyone they could be themselves with for so long.

They had finally found each other.

"I can't believe it's really you."

Jaune heard the slight tremble in her voice and knew that if she weren't holding him so close, he'd be able to see tears in her eyes. That was fine. He was crying too.

"I could play you a song and try a lame pickup line if you think that'd help prove it," he said, trying and failing to keep his voice even.

A sound that was halfway between a sob and a laugh escaped Weiss' mouth.

"I thought I was the only one."

"I did too. I thought… I thought I had lost you all."

He thought he had failed them again.

"I thought I was alone."

Weiss pulled back. Their tear-stained cheeks were revealed to each other.

"You are not alone.," she said. " _We_ are not alone."

Weiss took a deep breath to gather herself. It was impressive how quickly she brought her emotions under control. Her blue eyes glowed with determination that reminded him why once upon a time he'd been head over heels for this girl.

"This time, we'll do it right."

xXx

After things had calmed down, Weiss' butler brought coffee for Weiss and hot chocolate for Jaune.

Jaune decided he liked Weiss' butler.

"I see," Weiss said, frowning in thought. She was sitting behind a large, imposing desk. "So it was the same for you then? You suddenly woke up in a younger body."

"Yeah," Jaune nodded. "I remember we were fighting Salem. Then I was eleven again. It has been a year since then."

"It has been a year for me as well. Whatever happened must have sent us back at the same time."

"Well, you clearly have been making better use of your time than me," Jaune said, taking in the view from the office. "Are you the head of the SDC now?"

"What?" Weiss blinked before looking around the office. "Oh, this? No. Who would give control of the company to a child? No, with my father gone, ownership of the company passes to my mother."

Jaune remembered something like that the first time they had visited Atlas. The SDC had no shareholders. The company was 100% owned by the Schnee family. It had been that way since Nicholas Schnee founded it after the Great War, and Jacques Schnee had seen no reason to change it.

"Right now, my mother and Winter are handling all the paperwork required for the ownership to be transferred to her. It is why I was able to have the office all to myself today. You'd be surprised at how much paperwork someone's death requires."

Jaune took a long sip from his mug. If she gave him an opening like that, there was no ignoring the elephant in the room.

"Right. So, about that…?"

"About what?"

"Your father."

"What about him?"

Jaune gave Weiss a look. The heiress stared back at him, blank-faced.

"Come on, Weiss. Are you really going to make me ask?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Did you kill him?"

It was as if his question had sucked all the air out of the room. There was only silence in the aftermath as Jaune waited for Weiss' reply. Her arctic gaze was as fearsome as always, yet he refused to flinch away from it.

If she had done it, he wouldn't think less of her for it. Jaune could understand why Weiss would make that choice. While Jacques Schnee had never been the sort of mustache-twirling villain that would ever consider joining Salem, the man had ultimately done far more harm than good.

The poor working conditions in his mines caused people like Adam Taurus to rise and helped the White Fang gain many supporters over the years. The sheer amount of negativity Jacques Schnee had generated throughout his life by trying to make a profit was mind-boggling.

Salem hadn't wasted it.

It would have been nice if the White Fang had stopped being a threat after Adam's failure at Haven and his death at Argus, but life hadn't been so convenient. With its leadership gone, what remained had been disorganized cells all over Remnant. Minors leaders squabbling for control.

Tyrian had stepped in. The scorpion faunus may have been crazy, but his powers of speech were not lacking. His rhetoric seemed to be quite a hit with Adam's former supporters. Unlike Sienna who spoke of fear and Adam who preached subjugation, Tyrian's message had been more straightforward.

Rage.

The faunus encouraged them to unleash their anger at an unjust world. To take revenge against those who had wronged them. They didn't need a plan. They didn't need an agenda. Careful planning and long term goals were no longer necessary.

They just needed to do what made them happy.

The White Fang had been well on its way to becoming a cult under Sienna and Adam, but it was Tyrian who finished their transformation. It had broken Blake's heart to see her fellow faunus reduced to maddened beasts.

If Jacques Schnee were to be removed from the picture soon enough, many things could be avoided.

"It had to be done," Weiss said, her voice cold.

Jaune closed his eyes. "I am sorry."

"What for?"

"That you had to make that choice."

Weiss' face softened.

"I tried, you know?" she said. "I tried to change his mind. I tried to make him see his business practices would hurt others. I tried to make him understand." Her grip on her coffee mug tightened. "He wouldn't listen. No matter how many arguments I made, he wouldn't take me seriously!"

Because she was only eleven.

Jaune had gone through similar experiences. Even if his mind was in his twenties, his body was that of a child. He could argue with his parents all he wanted about them letting him become a Huntsmen, and they wouldn't change their mind.

After all, he was just a kid and clearly didn't know any better.

"It was infuriating," Weiss said. She brushed a stray hair from her face. "I could have prevented so many things if he had just listened to me, but he refused to. I was running out of time. Sienna Khan was going to become the leader of the White Fang at any moment, and that would just cause things to spiral down. So many people were going to die once the White Fang fully radicalized. I had to stop it, so I…"

Weiss sighed. She looked tired.

"I really thought I could change him."

She had probably seen this as a chance to create a different relationship with her father. After the death of most of her family, Weiss had often expressed the desire to have done things differently. She had been trying to connect with the man, all while desperately wanting to change the future.

While she had been carrying all that weight, he had been in his house doing nothing.

"It is better this way," Weiss said. Jaune was reasonably sure her words were more for herself than him. "Mother has not succumbed to alcohol this time around. She listens to me more than father ever did. She has Winter to help her out with the company. It's unlikely Winter will become a Specialist now, but that's a small sacrifice."

"I'm sorry."

"You already said that."

"Because I am. I should have been there. Done something."

"There is no way you could have known," Weiss pointed out.

"No, I guess not, but I'm here now," Jaune said, rising from his seat. "I'm not sure how much help I can be with my body like this, but you don't have to do this alone anymore. Whatever you need me for, I'm here."

"Good," Weiss said with genuine emotion in her voice. "Because there is something I need your help with."

"What is it?"

"I have been thinking about this ever since you called me. What if we aren't the only ones who got sent back?"

Jaune's gut wrenched. "You mean… the others could be here too?"

Ren. Nora. Ruby. Blake. Yang.

It was something he had considered as well, but could it really be? Dare he hope?

"If the two of us are here, why not the others?" Weiss asked. The logic was as good as any. "Yang and Ruby are in Patch. I already have Klein trying to find the safest way to contact them."

"But Ren and Nora are somewhere in the middle of Anima," Jaune said, slowly realizing what Weiss wanted of him. "And Blake is with the White Fang."

"Or in Menagerie."

"Or in Menagerie," Jaune admitted. "You want me to go look for them?"

"I will provide the funds for you to travel," Weiss assured him. "I can even hire a Huntsman to travel with you should you need it, but I need you to make contact with them and verify whether they've come back as well or not."

Jaune was about to answer when a loud alarm came from Weiss scroll.

"Sorry," the girl apologized. "I cannot afford to ignore this. I set it up to alert me when certain keywords show up on the news."

Jaune did not need to ask what keywords those were. He found out not two seconds after Weiss turned on the TV.

" _-nna Khan and Adam Taurus were captured by Mistralian Authorities thanks to an anonymous tip."_

Weiss and Jaune looked at each other.

"Blake?"

"Blake."

"Guess I'm going to Mistral then."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **The idea of getting a do-over on life is a very powerful one. It's no surprise that there are many fics with that general premise.**

 **But when you start thinking about it, Jaune is not in a particularly good position to change the future compared to other members of the cast. As far as we know, at least. Blake's already in the White Fang and probably has some training even as a child. Weiss belongs to one of the wealthiest families in Remnant. Pyrrha is a super prodigy. Ruby and Yang have Tai and Qrow to listen to them. Nora and Ren… are used to surviving in the wilderness? Maybe?**

 **Anyway, it was something I played with as I wrote this. While Jaune is limited to doing small things to get himself ready for Beacon, Blake and Weiss are just dropping rocks in the timestream.**

 **For anyone wondering how the time-travel happened, the idea is that Ruby uses the Relics to send everyone (WBY+JNR) back in time right before they're defeated by Salem. Except Ruby. She doesn't get to go because she was the one using the Relics. That means that, yes, Yang has gone back in time as well, and she has been living with normal Ruby for the past year.**

 **Anyway, the hypothetical full-length fic would be divided into three main parts. First, we'd have Jaune traveling around to get the team back together. He finds Blake easily enough, and they travel around Mistral to find Ren and Nora. Weiss gets in contact with Yang, and that's where things get complicated. Overprotective doesn't begin to cover how Yang will act towards young Ruby.**

 **The second act will happen once the team is gathered, and they're trying to decide how to best change things. This is where they'll start seeing the aftereffects of some of the choices they've made (killing Jacques, betraying Adam and Sienna, etc.) and that those are not necessarily good. This leads to the final act, which is them trying to stop the Fall of Beacon.**

 **Anyway, that's all for now.**

 **Till next time!**


	15. Hearts and Minds

**Since a lot of people ask about which story I'm going to do next or which one of these one-shots is going to be the next to be turned into a full fic, here's how my fic schedule currently looks like:**

 **1) Individual System: Currently my main fic. Updates every other Monday.**

 **2) ? ? ?: A short series of equally short drabbles. Coming soon.**

 **3) The Jaune-Shots: Currently updates the last Monday of every month.**

 **3) Maybe I am a Lion: The Faunus Jaune fic. Ideally should replace Individual System once that's over.**

 **4) ? ? ?: A short comedy fic.**

 **5) Turn, Turn, and Turn: I think I have finally figured out where to go with this one. Ideally should be up once Maybe I am a Lion ends unless I figure out how to have two fics going on at once (which, spoiler alert, is not looking very likely). After that, it's anyone's guess.**

 **But enough talking. Let's get on with the chapter!**

* * *

 **Hearts and Minds**

* * *

Ozpin liked to take long, relaxing walks.

It hadn't always been that way. Back when he was Ozma, it had always been about the destination and never about the journey. There had always been a monster to be slain, a kingdom to be saved, a princess to be rescued. It was only after meeting Salem that the world around him had started to gain color.

To Salem, everything outside that dusty old tower was new. She watched the world with eyes full of wonder, and it was those eyes that made Ozma realize how little he had appreciated the world around him until then. How much he had taken it for granted.

Shame he died before he could see the world with Salem.

The second time he died, well, that had been a horribly depressing affair he preferred not to dwell on.

It was only after many more lifetimes that he had started to learn how to appreciate the beauty of the world around him. The flowers blooming in spring. The summer breeze. The melancholy of autumn. The stillness of winter. They had always been there, yet he had seldom paid attention to them.

If a person couldn't appreciate what he was fighting for, then what was the point?

Wasn't that just too sad?

Ozpin had designed Beacon with that thought in mind. The school had plenty of open areas and green spaces. Beacon was not just a place where the future defenders of the world were trained. It was also a place where one could take nice, relaxing walks.

Ozpin knew for a fact plenty of students (and a few teachers) went on dates near the cliffs and with good reason. The view of the waterfalls at midday was breathtaking.

The view at night was not any less pleasing. Perhaps not as impactful, but Ozpin felt it had a charm of its own. Back when he had been the King of Vale, he had made sure there were enough lights on campus to provide proper illumination at night, but not so many of them that they would take away the night's charm. Finding the right balance had been difficult.

Some people may see such a thing as beneath his notice, but on nights like this, Ozpin knew it had been worth it.

The wind blew softly, strong enough to remind him it was there but no more than that. An owl hooted in the distance, a momentary break in an otherwise quiet night. Ozpin could hear the sound made by his shoes as he stepped on the paved road, his faithful cane held in one hand.

Some would say the headmaster of Beacon shouldn't be out doing nothing on a night like this. With the Vytal Festival on the horizon and dozens of transfer students coming in, paperwork was at an all-time high. Some people would go as far as to accuse Ozpin of ducking his responsibilities.

Those people weren't necessarily wrong.

There was plenty of paperwork he could be doing, but Ozpin felt it was better to leave such things to those who would do a better job. Sure, he could stay up all night doing paperwork, but why bother when Glynda was so much better at it than him and would do it in half the time?

Delegation, Ozpin felt, was a crucial part of leadership. As someone who had ruled his fair share of kingdoms, Ozpin could say that with quite a bit of authority.

Sure, not all of those kingdoms had been successes. Even those that had succeeded during his lifetime ended up fading away in time. Such was the fate of all nations.

In the end, beauty was all too fleeting.

Death followed life. Destruction followed creation.

That was why it was so important to appreciate the good while it lasted. Ozpin just wished everyone could understand that.

A frown appeared on the headmaster's face as a low whine reached his ears. Someone was lying on the grass next to a lamppost a few yards away. As Ozpin kept walking, he was able to discern who it was.

Jaune Arc.

The young man lay on the grass wearing the jeans and hoodie he used for combat—Was that a bunny on the front he saw?—but without the armor. Said young man was currently trying his best to bury his face in his hands without much success. It was far from the oddest sight Ozpin had come across. If anything, this was something he had seen countless times. It was clear something was troubling the young Arc.

Other people would have walked away. Jaune Arc was too busy trying to hide his face from the world to have noticed him. Whatever his problems were, they were likely to be something entirely too teenage, and that was always a pain to deal with.

Ozpin did not flee or hide.

After all, helping out students was a teacher's joy.

"Lovely night, is it not, Mr. Arc?"

The reaction was instantaneous. The young Arc turned his head to the side and peeked from behind his fingers. He blinked once then twice, before abruptly standing up.

"Headmaster Ozpin! S-Sir!" He said, vainly trying to smooth out his clothes and shake off all the grass that had gotten stuck to him.

Always so nervous, this one.

As if this was remotely the most awkward position he had caught a student in.

"What are you doing here? I mean, not that you can't be here because this is your school and all and-"

"At ease, Mr. Arc," Ozpin said, taking pity on the young lad. "Please, do sit down. There is no need to stand up on my behalf."

Jaune Arc, of course, made no move to sit down at all, so Ozpin did. Not caring that his suit would get dirty, Ozpin sat down on the grass, leaning against the lamppost. Seeing this, Jaune Arc had no choice but to follow suit.

"I am here because I enjoy taking long walks around the campus," Ozpin said once Jaune had sat down. "Beacon at night is quite the sight. Don't you agree?"

"What? Ah, yes! Sure! Of course!."

Ozpin smiled indulgently. "No, I don't think you do."

"Sir?"

"I think your mind elsewhere right now. Perhaps talking about it might help?"

"I-That's…it's not really that important, sir," Jaune said somewhat nervously. "It's just...normal stuff. You probably wouldn't be interested in it."

"Mr. Arc, you are hardly the first student I find sulking in these grounds," Ozpin said with an indulgent smile which grew as Jaune opened his mouth, likely to say he wasn't sulking, only to close it a few seconds later. "Trust me when I say, nothing you can say will surprise me. I encourage you to take advantage of my experience now that it is freely offered to you. After all, I have made more mistakes than you can imagine."

So many more.

"But it is…" Jaune blushed. "Romance stuff."

"Ah, trouble with Miss Schnee, I take it."

Mr. Arc's attempts to court the Schnee Heiress were no secret to anyone, least of all the staff. In fact, there was even a betting pool going on. So far, Port was the only one who had made a bet in Mr. Arc's favor. If Jaune Arc happened to take Weiss Schnee to the dance, he'd make quite a bit of lien.

That wasn't to say they were singling out Jaune Arc and Weiss Schnee for their amusement. Not at all.

The staff had plenty of ongoing bets regarding many of their students, not just those two. Glynda considered it childish and wanted no part in it, which was just as well. It meant she wasn't involved enough to know about the bet regarding her and Ironwood.

It was for the best, really.

But he digressed. While Mr. Arc's attempts to flirt with Weiss Schnee were hardly the worst Ozpin had ever seen, he wasn't about to put money on his success. The boy resembled his father in that. Jean Arc had also not been good with women when he arrived at Beacon.

Of course, in Jean Arc's case, he had ended up learning from his failures a little too well.

It took Marie Arc's influence to break him out of his womanizing ways, but that was a story for another time.

"No, it's not about Weiss," Jaune said, looking more than a little irritated. No doubt from being reminded of the many times he had been rejected.

"It's about Pyrrha!"

Ozpin let a few seconds go by as he carefully considered Jaune's words.

"And what is it about Miss Nikos that has made you uncomfortable?" He asked, his mind already going over the possibilities.

Had Mr. Arc perhaps noticed his partner's feelings for him? That could mean Professor Peach was about to win quite a bit of lien. Romantic soul that she was, Peach had been the only one to bet in favor of those two starting to date before the first semester was finished.

"It's just…" Jaune looked away. "She likes me."

"I see."

Jaune frowned. "You already knew."

"I did."

What Ozpin was interested in was how exactly had Mr. Arc found out, and not just because there was also a bet on that. The advice that he'd need to give to a Mr. Arc that had found out through observation was fundamentally different from the one he'd need to give to one who had just been confessed to by Miss Nikos.

Jaune sighed and buried his face in his hands once more, trying to hide from the world in the way all teenagers wished they could do.

"Was it really that obvious?"

A complicated question.

For Mr. Arc, it should have been exceedingly difficult to notice Miss Nikos' feelings. Not only was Mr. Arc lacking the romantic experience required to see his partner's tells, but Pyrrha Nikos was also surprisingly passive in how she showed her affection.

In plain terms, Pyrrha Nikos seemed incapable of, as the kids these days were calling it, making a move.

If Pyrrha Nikos were any other student, Ozpin doubted the teachers would have noticed. However, she was the Invincible Girl. A promising student like her required special attention, whether she liked it or not.

"Not in the way you might think," Ozpin replied, seeing Mr. Arc's growing frown. "You are still young, Mr. Arc. You not realizing Miss Nikos' feelings is only to be expected. I assure you that you are hardly the first person in history to miss someone's feelings. There are many stories I could share about my own experiences."

Gods knew he hadn't been the brightest Dust crystal in the mine when it came to romance. When Salem had first expressed her desire to travel with him, he had thought she was only doing it as thanks for saving her.

Boy, had she let him have it for that.

In hindsight, he should have never let Salem go with him. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have had to experience his death and wouldn't have gone to the gods, seeking his resurrection. The gods wouldn't have cursed her with eternal life. She wouldn't have raised the kingdoms in rebellion against them, and the gods wouldn't have wiped out humanity in retaliation.

If that hadn't happened, maybe the gods wouldn't have cursed him with a never-ending cycle of reincarnation until he figured out a way to stop Salem and make world peace feasible. At task that, according to Jinn, was impossible.

If only.

Jaune started coughing, looking at him with wide eyes. Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"Is it really so hard to believe I was a young man once?"

Granted, he hadn't felt like a young man for several thousand years.

"N-No, it's not that," Jaune said, lightly hitting his chest to get his coughing under control. "Anyway, about Pyrrha! Y-Yeah, that! What do you think I should do?"

"Well, that depends on how you found out about Miss Nikos' feelings. Did she confess to you? If so, did you reject her?"

"What?" The blond shook his head. "No! None of those things! "

A good thing then. If Miss Nikos had confessed to Jaune Arc and been rejected, that would needlessly affect her emotional state. Ozpin would prefer if that didn't happen. While Pyrrha Nikos was not the only candidate to receive the power of the Fall Maiden, she was by far the most qualified.

Power. Skill. Disposition. She might as well be perfect.

There was a part of Ozpin that wished Amber would recover from her coma. After receiving the powers of the Fall Maiden and being tutored in their use, the young woman hadn't wanted to be cooped up in Beacon. Ozpin could respect that. He had no desire to be her jailer, and so, had allowed her to leave, with Qrow only occasionally checking in on her to see how she was doing.

That had been a mistake.

Amber had been attacked and left in a coma, half the Maiden's powers taken from her. While it was hardly the first time a Maiden was attacked, it was certainly the first time one had been left in such a peculiar state. There was no doubt in Ozpin's mind that it was Salem's work. After hundreds and hundreds of years, she had finally figured out how to steal a Maiden's powers.

Ozpin wished Amber would wake up again, but he doubted that would ever happen.

Perhaps if they had the time, they could figure out a way to help her, but with Salem clearly on the move once more, all they could do was seek out the next Fall Maiden, and there was no better candidate than Pyrrha Nikos.

"Pyrrha is great," Jaune said, nodding. "I mean, i-it's because Pyrrha is great that it never occurred to me she could have feelings for me! It never felt like she was treating me differently from anyone else. She's just nice to everyone! I just... never saw her that way."

"What changed then?"

Jaune looked away. "I… am not sure. I just looked at her and kind of just knew, if that makes any sense. Suddenly, I was thinking of all the things she had done around me, and it was like I was seeing them in a whole new light. I don't want to sound full of myself but…" Jaune sighed. "She likes me. She really likes me."

"And this troubles you?" Ozpin prodded.

"Well, yes," Jaune said, looking down. His left hand clutched the grass, breaking wisps of it away from the ground. "I don't know how I am supposed to turn her down now!"

Ozpin paused for a moment as he contemplated what his student just said.

Perhaps others would be left staring at the young man in disbelief. After all, Pyrrha Nikos was a beautiful young woman with a bright future ahead of her. She was one of the rising stars of her generation. Most people would consider themselves lucky to earn the affections of someone like that. That someone would turn her down probably wouldn't even factor in most people's minds.

To an average observer, someone like Jaune Arc should just thank his lucky stars that someone so clearly out of his league had paid attention to him and enjoy it while it lasts. However, Ozpin was far from average. He understood exactly how likely it was for someone like Jaune Arc to turn his partner down.

"And," Ozpin began, carefully considering his words, "why would you turn her down?"

"Because I don't feel the same way about her?"

"A fair point. Lack of interest is an obstacle to any relationship," Ozpin said, nodding as he brought his hands together. "But consider this: Miss Nikos has not made her feelings known to you, has she?"

"No, she hasn't."

"And in spite of this, you would go to her, reveal that you are aware of the feelings she has kept hidden from you, and crush her heart. Is that it?"

Jaune's eyes widened.

"What? That's not what I…When you say it like that, it's..." He trailed off, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Am I supposed to just ignore how she feels? That doesn't seem fair."

"Your sense of obligation towards your friend is commendable, Mr. Arc," Ozpin said. "However, on this occasion, it is misguided. Think for a moment on how you feel every time Miss Schnee turns you down. Does it feel good?"

Jaune grimaced. "No. It really doesn't."

"Of course it doesn't. Rejection is never pleasant."

In a way, that a teenager, of all things, could stand being rejected so many times was impressive. That took a special type of dogged determination.

The same type of determination that could lead a person to use fake transcripts to get into a Huntsman Academy without any prior training. That Jaune Arc had tried it at all spoke volumes of his audacity, his reckless, or both.

Ozpin had known this and allowed it.

Perhaps, if Jaune Arc had been any other student, he would have put a stop to it. However, he was an Arc, and Ozpin had accumulated plenty of experiences with the family over the years. For good or ill, they always managed to surprise him. He had taken a chance with Jaune Arc, and against all the odds, the boy had pulled through and passed the initiation.

However, he was still young. All his students were.

"When you are rejected by Miss Schnee, it is because you have decided to voice your feelings. When you do so, you do so while knowing the potential consequences. That is the difference between you and your partner," Ozpin continued. "Miss Nikos has not done such a thing. To reject her before she has even mustered the courage to make her feelings known would be needlessly cruel of you."

Jaune looked at him with wide eyes. After a moment, he swallowed and spoke. "W-What do I do then?"

"Continue as usual," Ozpin said. "People have a reason to keep secrets, Mr. Arc. It can be rude to drag them out into the light. When Miss Nikos is ready, she will tell you, and then you can choose how to answer. In the meantime, you could take some time to consider your feelings."

Jaune blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

"You said you never saw Miss Nikos in that way. I imagine the reason is that your feelings have centered around Miss Schnee." Ozpin didn't need to look at the young man's face to know there was a blush there.

People were always so willing to lock themselves out of the possibilities around them. Always so eager to let the first impression forever color their perspective. They saw a person and, in an instant, decided everything there was to know about them.

Sometimes, Ozpin wondered how his life would have turned out if he had given in to the advances of that one barmaid that had flirted with him before he set off to save Salem. Perhaps, he would have gotten her pregnant and been forced to settle down with her. Salem would have never been freed, and they both wouldn't have been cursed.

It would have been a simpler life.

"You are still young, Mr. Arc. Determination is good, but do not let it blind you to the world around you. Consider Miss Nikos and the people close to you carefully. Perhaps by the time she voices her feelings, yours will have changed. After all, there are still many things you do not know."

"Yeah… I think I am starting to see that."

xXx

Jaune Arc slowly walked back to his dorm.

It was funny how life worked out sometimes. With the semester break approaching, his main concern when the week began had been whether he should return home or not. His parents might have been okay with him going to Beacon, but that had been when they thought he was going to fail. He had no idea what they would do or say now that he had gotten in.

His mom was sure to yell at him for not calling for the past few months. Then there were his sisters to consider.

Staying away from home was sounding more like a good idea the more Jaune thought about it. The question was what to do instead.

He could visit Saphron. It had been a long time since he last saw her.

Staying in Beacon was also a possibility, especially since he had heard Ruby mention Weiss would not be returning to Atlas. Without classes to get in the way, it was the perfect time to apply the good old Arc charm.

That was the sort of thing Jaune had been thinking of when the week began.

Then one day, he woke up and realized Pyrrha had a crush on him.

Like, a big crush on him.

Huge.

Interacting with her for the rest of the day had been hard. It had been even harder to sleep in the same room. Sharing a room with Pyrrha and Nora had been uncomfortable enough when they had just been two very attractive girls. Now, he knew one of those girls had feelings for him.

It was very awkward.

He had fled JNPR's room under the pretense of taking a walk.

That was when Ozpin had found him.

It was just about the worst thing that could have happened to Jaune. He had barely managed to keep his feelings from showing on his face all throughout that talk. If anything, it was by focusing on the stuff with Pyrrha that he had managed to make it through that entire conversation.

Don't get him wrong. Ozpin gave good advice. His words had given him a lot of stuff to consider, and under other circumstances, it would have been an extremely helpful talk.

The problem was Jaune's circumstances were as far away from normal as possible.

The problem was Jaune had not been entirely honest with Ozpin about how he had learned of Pyrrha's feelings for him.

"Everyone, up!" Jaune said as he stepped into JNPR's room and turned on the lights. "Up! Up! Up!"

Ren woke up first, giving him only a curious look before sitting up. Pyrrha was a little slower. Nora, however, seemed to have no intention of getting up.

Jaune yanked the covers away from her.

"Hey!"

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried out, surprised by his rudeness.

"I'm calling a team meeting," Jaune said brusquely. "Team meeting. Right now. Urgent. Important. Right. Now."

"Jaune, what's going on?" Pyrrha asked, looking worried. Behind her, a sleepy Nora glared at him.

"I found out what my Semblance is."

"Jaune, that's great." Pyrrha tried to smile, but it was clear the situation was confusing her. "I am proud of you, but-"

"Couldn't this have waited until the morning?" Nora grumbled, looking like she wished Magnhild was within reach.

"I can read minds."

"I am sorry, what was that?" Ren asked, speaking for the first time since Jaune had woken everyone up.

"I can read minds, Ren," Jaune repeated, pointedly ignoring Pyrrha's rapidly paling face. Boy, if only her feelings were the most worrying thing he had learned in the past twenty-four hours.

Ozpin thought a lot.

Boy, did he think a lot.

"We have _a lot_ to talk about."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Mind-reading is far from being a new idea, but I still wanted to try my hand at it. It's a classic, you know?**

 **Usually, mind-reading fics play it safe early on. It's all about improving your personal relationships and stuff before the plot really kicks in. Here, I wanted to throw Jaune to the wolves straight away. I thought to myself, "Whose mind could cause the biggest change if Jaune read it?"**

 **Turns out it was Ozpin's.**

 **Writing the bulk of this one-shot from Ozpin's perspective felt like the right move. I wanted to make it so the readers could figure things out even though Ozpin doesn't. Also, this is the first time I write from Ozpin's POV, so that was cool.**

 **Anyway, Jaune just learned a lot of useful information but lacks the proper context for it. A hypothetical full-length fic would be about JNPR trying to help Jaune control his Semblance (he didn't read Ozpin's mind on purpose. He just couldn't not read it), and also them trying to figure what this "Maiden" business is all about. As they become more entangled in the plots going behind the scenes, it'd become all about stopping the Fall of Beacon.**

 **That's all for now.**

 **Till next time!**


	16. Route B

**Lonely Nights hit 500 favs, and I wanted to do something to commemorate that. Also, a big thank you to those people.**

 **Knowledge of LN is recommended but not necessary to enjoy this one-shot.**

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 **Lonely Nights: Route B**

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Life, Blake had discovered, was all about making choices.

Sometimes, the outcomes of those choices were almost inconsequential. Whether she took her morning tea or not didn't have much of an impact on her daily life. However, not all choices were like that. Some choices had unimaginably far-reaching consequences.

Most times, it was easy to tell when one was faced with a big choice. At least, Blake believed that was the case.

Abandoning her parents. Leaving the White Fang. Revealing herself as a faunus to her teammates, one of which was the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. All those were choices that had a significant impact on Blake's life. They had shaped the person Blake was and the person she would become.

Whether to let Jaune leave the room or not, by comparison, shouldn't mean nearly as much.

It shouldn't mean anything at all.

Their relationship, if it could be called that, had started almost by accident, a drunken mistake that Blake had chosen not to forget.

There were no feelings of any kind involved. It was stress relief and nothing more. Stolen moments in the middle of the night where words were unneeded. A pleasurable distraction that allowed Blake's mind to rest, all to better focus on the White Fang.

It was just sex.

So, if Jaune wanted to end things, it should be fine, right? There was nothing wrong with that. Jaune wanted things Blake didn't. He wanted flowers and dates and all those other things that usually came before sex. That had become apparent to Blake as his attempts to ask her out to the dance became more frequent.

Blake didn't want any of those things.

Blake knew herself. She knew she wasn't remotely ready for a relationship. Not so soon after Adam. Not with the White Fang causing trouble.

Dates and other such nonsense were just a waste of time.

That was why Jaune was about to walk out of the room and out of their relationship.

It only made sense. If they both wanted different things, there was no sense in continuing this. They'd only become frustrated with each other, and that would start to show in their daily life. Their friends would realize something was wrong. They could get discovered. They could even hurt each other.

Jaune was doing the sensible thing, Blake told herself.

That was why the sensible thing for her to do was to let him go.

That was all that needed to happen. No more words needed to be said between them. What they had was nice, but it had clearly reached its limits. It was best to stop before things soured. It was not how any of her books ended, but Blake understood the difference between reality and fiction. You didn't always get a neat and tidy ending. She was glad Jaune understood as well. This would be good for him.

But would it be good for her?

If Jaune left, where did that leave her? She'd be back to where she started. Back to obsessing over the White Fang every night with no convenient outlet. It wasn't like she could just replace Jaune. Who else could Blake go to for something like this?

Sun?

No. He'd get the wrong idea from the start.

There was no one other than Jaune.

She had to stop him.

The mad urge caught Blake by surprise. So shocked she was by it, that she froze in place, her mind torn by indecision. Should she really stop Jaune? Then what? What could she say? What could she do?

What about Jaune?

What about her?

Blake vacillated between action and inaction for an instant, but that was enough. By the time that small moment had ended, Jaune was already out of her reach.

The door to the classroom closed, and Blake was left alone, her breathing heavier than it had been a few seconds ago.

It was for the best, she told herself once more. In the first place, their relationship was not something that should have happened.

It was just a drunken mishap.

Tomorrow, things would return to normal. All would be as it was before. She and Jaune would go back to their proper roles like actors in a play.

That was all.

xXx

It was almost scary how quickly things settled back into place.

For Jaune, the days after he stepped out of that classroom passed by without incident. Everything was back to normal, the old normal.

He went to classes as usual. He struggled to pay attention to Oobleck's lectures and slept through half of Port's stories. He tried his best in Goodwitch's classes, and lately, his best was getting him further than it had before. He won about as many spars as he lost nowadays. A marked improvement.

When he wasn't in class, he was hanging out with his friends or studying, and at night, he trained with Pyrrha.

It was like his relationship with Blake had been nothing but a fever dream.

Weeks ago, Jaune had wanted to go on a date with Blake, yet he had settled into life without her as easily as putting on a pair of well-worn jeans.

It was surreal.

He had sex with a beautiful girl, got into a relationship, and now he was single again. His first relationship had run its course, yet life went on as usual.

And really, why should things change? The whole thing had been a secret from the start. As far as everyone else was concerned, nothing had happened, and so, nothing had changed. It wasn't like he was acting any differently because of what happened. Neither was Blake for the matter.

Wait, no. Jaune frowned. That last part wasn't quite right.

Blake had been even more reclusive as of late. While he'd like to flatter himself and think it was because their relationship ended, Jaune knew it had nothing to do with it. According to Ruby, it was due to the White Fang. Blake was worried about them to the point of distraction.

Many times, Jaune had wondered if he should try talking to her but always ended up deciding against it. Blake was not the most approachable person at the best of times, and he had absolutely no idea how to approach her now. It was best to leave her to her teammates, he told himself. They knew her better than he did.

Still, Jaune couldn't help but feel guilty about not doing anything to help her.

"Argh, this is impossible!"

Jaune blinked as Nora pulled her hair and let her face fall on the desk. The thick book she had been struggling with fell on her a second later, having proved itself the superior foe. The rest of Team JNPR looked at her with empathy.

The four of them were in the library. Tests may be done for the semester, but Oobleck had deemed it fit to give them one last essay assignment. Ten double-spaced pages was not much compared to what Oobleck usually demanded of his students, but this close to the dance and their end-of-the-year mission, it was nothing if not inconvenient.

"Why do we even need to do this?" Nora groaned. The heavy book slipped from her head and fell to the table with a dull thud.

"As Doctor Oobleck would say, those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it," Ren said. To someone who didn't know him well, his voice would have sounded as stoic as always. However, Jaune could tell Ren was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince them.

And if Jaune could tell, Nora most definitely could.

"Bah, I say! Bah!" Nora said, glaring at her book. "If I want to make history, I just need to hit something really hard with Magnhild."

She wasn't wrong.

"She's not wrong," Jaune said, yawning and stretching his arms. A look around the table showed no one was particularly invested in their textbooks. "How about we take a break? As much as I want to say we should just blow off this essay-"

"Jaune!" Pyrrha said, scandalized yet secretly curious about how such a thing would feel.

"Oh! I approve of Operation Sabotage!"

"We can't do that," Jaune finished, causing Nora to deflate. "It wouldn't be right."

Also, Oobleck would find a way to make them do it, and if they turned in a sloppy assignment, he'd make them do it again. The green-haired teacher was unexpectedly tenacious.

"Let's just put aside the books for now," Jaune said, doing just that. He yawned again. "Just a short break. We'll continue later."

A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Weiss told Jaune that putting his work off now only meant more work later.

Jaune ignored it with the practiced ease of a teenager.

"That sounds reasonable," Pyrrha said, which was a sign of how much she didn't want to do the assignment. "Does anyone have anything in particular they want to talk about?"

"Oh! Pick me! Pick me!" Nora said, one hand raised high in the air and the other one already around Ren's shoulders. A loud huff and a glare from the librarian caused Nora to wince and lower her voice, but it did not get her to stop talking. Few things did. "I have a great story to tell."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Is it going to be the story of how Ren asked you to the dance again?"

"...no."

He sighed. "Nora, don't take this the wrong way. I'm happy for you both. I really am. But you already told the story like twenty times."

And it only got more ridiculous with each iteration. Last time, Ren had to fight a hundred chainsaw-wielding ninja just to get her flowers.

"Yeah, well, I don't see you fighting three hundred-"

"Nora…"

" _Three hundred_ ninja to get someone flowers. When are you going to ask someone to the dance, Jaune-Jaune?" Nora crossed her arms and humphed while exaggeratedly raising her nose.

Maybe a few months ago, bringing up his dateless state would have hurt him a little. Now, Jaune just shrugged.

"I haven't really thought much about it," he lied. Asking Blake out hadn't gone well, and now, well, he just didn't feel like trying to start anything serious.

Ironically, this was probably similar to what Blake felt when he was asking her out.

"Wait, really?" Nora blinked in surprise. "You mean you weren't building up the courage to ask Weiss out and get rejected?"

Had this been the first semester, Nora would have been right. However, his feelings towards Weiss were a lot more muted now. Being with Blake had helped put some distance between him and Weiss. After all, you didn't pursue a girl while having sex with her teammate.

Well, unless you were a jerk, which Jaune didn't consider himself to be.

Regardless, the whole thing had put things in perspective for Jaune.

"No," Jaune shook his head. "I figure I have annoyed her enough already."

And wasn't that just sad to think about? He had spent a whole semester chasing after a girl who wanted nothing to do with him.

Talk about making a nuisance of himself.

"Wait, really?" Nora's hands hit the table as she leaned forward, her face scant inches from his. "You're finally over her? No take backs?"

Jaune blinked. It made sense she hadn't realized it what with her and Ren finally making the jump from together to together-together, but this was a bigger reaction than he'd expected.

Then again, it was Nora.

"I mean, yeah, I guess you can say it like that."

"So, to recap, you don't have a date for the dance, aren't planning on asking anyone out, and would probably say yes to any pretty girl who asked you out? Is that it? Am I right?"

Jaune crossed his arms. "I resent the part where you just assume I would just say yes to any pretty girl."

Even if she was kind of right.

Also, why was Nora making such a big deal out of this? Why did she have to enunciate her words like that?

And was she even looking at him while talking?

"But would you? If someone were to ask you, and you had no reason to say no, you would 100% say yes, wouldn't you?"

Jaune shrugged.

"I guess?"

"Did you hear that, Pyrrha?" Nora asked, looking very intently at his partner who, for some reason, was bright red. "Did you hear that?"

"She's right next to me," Jaune said dryly. "Of course, she heard. Jeez, try to make me sound a little less desperate, won't you? It's not like I'm waiting for a date to show up. I'd be happy just going with a friend. I could even go with Pyrrha."

For a moment, time and space came to screeching halt.

Jaune continued, blissfully unaware.

"Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea," Jaune said, turning to his stunned partner. "How about we go as friends?" Jaune suddenly frowned and clicked his tongue. "No, wait, what am I saying? Sorry, you probably already have a date-"

"Yes!"

The loud cry surprised not only her teammates but the people in the tables around them. It earned Team JNPR yet another glower from the librarian.

"I mean, no! I mean yes, I mean…" It was the most nervous Jaune had ever seen Pyrrha. The redhead blushed and stuttered like never before.

"No one has asked me yet," she said after finally managing to get a hold of herself. "I would love to go to the dance with you, Jaune."

"Yes!" Nora shouted even louder than Pyrrha had before, almost swinging Ren through the air as she spun around.

That was enough for the librarian to finally lose her patience with them. Team JNPR was kicked out of the library for the third time that month.

Jaune couldn't bring himself to care about it. He was still trying to understand what just happened.

xXx

Weiss Schnee was arranging flowers.

There was an art to it. One couldn't just put a bunch of flowers in a base and expect them to look good. It didn't work like that. Flower arrangement was about combination and contrast. It was about meaning. Each flower needed to be in the right place to create the desired effect.

The three-tiered arrangement Weiss had insisted on using for the party was far simpler than what one could find in the parties Weiss had attended since childhood, yet Weiss felt its elegant charm would enhance this special occasion.

Yes, that was the only reason why she had been arranging the same vase for the past ten minutes. Perfection took time and effort!

Weiss Schnee was arranging flowers, clad in a beautiful dress, while everyone around her was having fun.

For a moment, the light in Weiss' eyes dimmed as her traitorous mind reminded her of the reality of her situation.

When Team RWBY had been asked to help with the dance, Weiss had been happy. She was worried about Team CFVY, but any chance to use her organizational skills was a good one. Together with Yang—Blake and Ruby had predictably not been of much help—they had organized every aspect of the dance.

Music. Decorations. Lights. Napkins. All of it had to be approved by her first, and the results spoke for themselves.

Weiss had created the perfect night.

Her face tensed but only for an instant. A good host did not show discomfort. This was a good night. This was a great night.

She just happened to have no one to share it with.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She was Weiss Schnee! She wasn't supposed to be surrounded by happy couples while she pretended to arrange flowers! She was supposed to be on a date with a man she had deemed worthy of her affections. Neptune Vasilias was smart, confident, and clearly cultured. A far cry from the usual meatheads in Beacon.

He had turned her down.

 _He_ had turned _her_ down!

To Weiss, it didn't make any sense. People did not turn her down. She was the one who did that. People were supposed to vie for her affections, not the other way around. She was smart, beautiful, graceful, and came from high society. Any boy should feel lucky she had deemed them worthy of her.

So why had Neptune said no?

Her hands suddenly gripped the base tightly. Deep breaths, Weiss reminded herself as she took a step back under the pretense of admiring her work. Deep breaths. A Schnee was always in control.

Except Weiss wasn't in control. If she were, she wouldn't be going through with this farce.

To think she had turned down so many who had asked her only to be turned down herself. Weiss never saw Neptune's rejection coming. She had never once considered he might say no, and in the aftermath, she could only feel hurt. Exposed as she never had before.

Vulnerable.

Naked.

Was something wrong with her? Was she too short? Was her body not developed enough? Would he have preferred Winter over her?

Was it her scar?

Just a few words from Neptune and she was unraveling. Weiss couldn't believe this was her. Was she truly so weak? No. Weiss shook her head. That was not a question that needed answering.

If she were strong, she wouldn't have lied.

Weiss could have easily told her teammates the truth, but she had chosen against it. Instead, she had created a lie. It wasn't that Weiss Schnee didn't have a date. She was merely too busy to date. Weiss Schnee was above silly dances.

Going on a date with a cute boy, then gossiping about it with her teammates?

Who needed to indulge in such trivial nonsense? Certainly not Weiss Schnee.

She was such a coward.

The thought was like a stab to her heat. It flawlessly slipped past her defenses and left her bleeding. It hurt all the more because she couldn't deny it. After being rejected by Neptune, Weiss could have asked anyone else, but she hadn't.

What if they said no as well?

What if they saw in her whatever Neptune found so objectionable?

In the end, Weiss had acted to protect her pride, and in doing so, had doomed herself to go through the most important dance of the year alone. Arranging flowers and straightening napkins for others to enjoy.

Pathetic.

A laugh— _His_ laugh—caused her to look to the other end of the room. There he was. Laughing with a pretty girl at either side of him, smiles on their faces.

Dances are childish, Neptune had said. Clearly a lie or else he wouldn't have come.

Was it just her who was repugnant to him then?

Something warm threatened to gather in her eyes. Sheer force of will stopped it from happening. Weiss turned away from the horrid sight lest it hurt her more than it already had.

And in doing, she came across another unpleasant sight.

Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc.

Pyrrha looked absolutely stunning. Her long red dress—probably the only dress in the room that came close to matching hers—hugged her figure while leaving her arms and shoulders exposed as was proper for someone of her build. From makeup to accessories, there was not a single imperfection on her.

As expected of Pyrrha Nikos.

The real surprise was Jaune.

The blond filled out his tux surprisingly well, and for once, he had properly tamed his hair. However, that wasn't what caught Weiss' eye. With Pyrrha helping him prepare, that was only to be expected.

What Weiss hadn't expected was for Jaune be such a good dancer.

He led Pyrrha across the dance floor with confidence and grace Weiss had never once seen in combat class, and it really was Jaune leading the dance as opposed to Pyrrha making it look that way. Weiss had received enough dance lessons to notice the difference.

Weiss could vaguely remember Jaune dancing during that ill-fated evening when Yang had somehow managed to get them all drunk, but those songs had been… club songs. Loud noise for people to randomly move their bodies under the pretense of rhythm.

Half of the songs for the dance had been chosen by her. They were songs that required actual dancing skills.

Jaune, somehow, had them. There was not a single missed or faltering step in his movements.

Weiss couldn't begin to guess how much work it had taken Pyrrha to teach him that, nor could she understand why the Invincible Girl had chosen Jaune, of all people, as her partner for the dance. However, she doubted there was a single person in the room that could argue with the result.

They looked perfect.

Black and crimson flowed in perfect tune with each other. It was like something out of a fairy tale. Eyes stared at them with admiration and envy.

The beautiful sight left a bitter taste in Weiss' mouth.

To think she had turned down Jaune so many times. Now, he was the one enjoying the night she had so carefully crafted while she was left to wallow in her own misery. Oh, how the tables had turned!

Weiss frowned.

She was being petty.

It wasn't like she would have said yes if Jaune had asked her to the dance. She had no reason to resent him for having a date.

Then again, Jaune had never asked her to the dance.

Back when he stopped trying to flirt with her, Weiss hadn't thought much of it. In fact, she didn't even notice it at first. It was only during a Tuesday afternoon during a joint study session when she asked Jaune for his eraser, and he gave it to her with barely two words that Weiss realized Jaune hadn't flirted with her in weeks.

Why had he stopped?

Had Jaune seen the same ugliness in her Neptune had? Was that it?

No, she was being silly. She was letting Neptune's words affect her too much, yet how could they not? They chipped away at her confidence second by second. Was this how being rejected felt like?

How perfectly unpleasant.

How had Jaune managed to stand it so many times?

A tinge of guilt wormed its way into her heart. Jaune had been annoying. There was no denying that, yet now that she had experienced the pain of rejection, Weiss couldn't help but feel she should have been gentler when doing so.

Perhaps, that was why Jaune had stopped.

He got tired of being hurt.

The music stopped, breaking Weiss out of her musings just as Jaune and Pyrrha stepped away from each other. At that moment, Jaune's eyes met hers. She instantly looked away, but it was too late. She had been caught staring. How mortifying.

Oh, she could almost hear him laughing at her misfortune with Pyrrha.

Weiss immediately went back to busying herself with the flowers, trying to pretend that just hadn't happened. She hoped Jaune did the same.

He didn't.

Out of the corner of her eye, Weiss caught him approaching her. He was probably just going to get some punch for Pyrrha, she told herself, her gaze firmly on the flowers. Busy. She was busy doing this, which was necessary and vital. She wasn't hiding. Certainly not from Jaune Arc.

Her heart sped up as Jaune ignored the punch bowl entirely. No. Please. Get awa-

"Weiss."

"Jaune!" Weiss said, her voice louder than she wished it to. She turned to face him, even as she backed away from him and bumped against the table.

For a moment, neither said anything.

"Shouldn't you be with Pyrrha?" Weiss asked, deciding to go on the offensive. She would not be intimidated by Jaune Arc!

Jaune blinked, a little taken aback by her words. "Pyrrha? She said she needed to take a breather. All that dancing tired her out."

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

Pyrrha Nikos?

Tired?

That was what he was going with?

Her doubt must have shown because Jaune added, "It's true. Her face was very flushed." He shifted awkwardly for a second, looking more like the Jaune Weiss was familiar with. "Look, Weiss. I… was wondering if we could talk."

Talk? Weiss blinked. What could Jaune possibly want to talk to her about?

"I am listening," she said, trying her hardest to sound neutral.

"Yeah, well…" Jaune trailed off and looked away. He ran a hand through his hair. "Well, this was much easier when I was asking Pyrrha for advice." His eyes wavered for a moment before finally seeming to settle on something.

"Look, would you like to dance? I think it's going to be easier that way. Apparently, I'm more confident when dancing, or so Pyrrha says."

Weiss's blue eyes slowly drifted down to the hand offered to her, irritation rising within her. Her brain had filtered out every word after he asked her to dance, only one thought running through her mind.

How dare he!

Was he pitying her? Did he think he could take advantage of her diminished state to sweep her off her feet? Was he mocking her? Was this his way of getting back at her for all the times she had rejected him?!

Weiss Schnee needed no one's pity! She most definitely would not put up with this mockery!

Weiss opened her mouth, fully intent on giving Jaune a piece of her mind.

"That would be nice."

What did she just say?!

Dazed, Weiss allowed herself to be led to the dance floor.

The music started once more, and her body moved in tune with it. However, her mind was elsewhere. What was she doing? Why had she said yes? Why had she said yes to _Jaune Arc_?

Did she want to dance so badly?

"You dance well," Weiss said after a moment. Even though she was shorter than Pyrrha, Jaune seemed to have no trouble compensating for the difference in height between them, a difference that was much greater than Weiss had expected.

Had he always been so tall?

"Thank you," Jaune replied. The tone of his voice told her he was feeling as awkward as she was. "It kind of happens when you grow up with seven sisters."

Just like that, her outer calm shattered.

"Seven!" Weiss cried out, unable to control her volume. Her outburst drew some stares, but she did not find it in herself to care. Her mind was still going over that number, and all it implied.

"Ah, there's the usual reaction," Jaune said with a small smile. "But yes, I grew up with seven sisters, and only one of them is younger than me. They were making me dance with them since before I could walk."

"I see. I guess you have benefited from it then."

"I guess you could say that." Jaune grinned, but it didn't last long. "Weiss, listen, the reason I asked you for a dance is that…"

"Did Pyrrha know you were going to do this?" Weiss asked suddenly.

"What?" Jaune blinked. "Of course. I told her about this. I saw you alone and-" Weiss tensed. "I figured it was a good chance to talk. I… Weiss… I want to apologize."

Weiss blinked and looked up at his face.

"Apologize?"

Jaune nodded, looking distinctly uncomfortable. If he wasn't using his arms to lead her, Weiss imagined he'd probably be scratching the back of his head.

"I have had time to do some thinking, and I realized I was making a nuisance of myself. I asked you out a bunch of times without considering how you felt."

Jaune grimaced.

"I am sorry about that."

Had it not been for the literal hundreds of hours she had spent learning to dance, Weiss would have missed the next step. Of all the things she had expected Jaune to say, an apology had not even been on the list.

"Oh," Weiss said. "Apology accepted."

A second later, Weiss mentally chastised herself for how distant she had sounded there. She might as well have been talking to a waiter at a restaurant.

"I must admit my behavior was not exactly stellar," Weiss quickly forced herself to add. "There are ways to reject people and the way I choose to do it… reflects poorly on me."

Weiss wanted to slap herself. Three simple words. That was all she needed to say.

I am sorry.

Why was that suddenly beyond her?

"You don't have to apologize. I was the one at fault. I have it on good authority I can be pretty annoying sometimes," Jaune tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Weiss frowned.

"No," she said firmly. "Regardless of what you may have done, I still treated you poorly. Recent events have shown me the error of such behavior."

Recent events like having her heart broken by Neptune.

For a brief crazed moment, Weiss wondered if he was watching them. She wondered if seeing her dance with Jaune would make him jealous.

She instantly squashed such thoughts for they were not worthy of a Schnee.

"I guess we both could have been better," Jaune said. His smile was weak but more genuine this time.

"I guess we could have."

"How about we start over then?"

Weiss smiled. "I think I would like that."

When the music started to die down, Weiss found herself surprised at how much she didn't want it to.

xXx

Blake was not having a good time.

After things ended with Jaune, Blake had gone back to sleepless nights and fruitless research. It was only natural. There was nothing else to distract her from her obsession with the White Fang. In the end, her team had gotten involved in it, leading to an encounter with Torchwick and his latest toy.

How on Remnant had the White Fang managed to obtain Atlas' latest prototype was not a question Blake knew the answer to. However, she was determined to find it. While the rest of her team congratulated itself on a job well done, Blake had only redoubled her efforts. It didn't matter if she lost sleep over it or if her performance in classes suffered. She had no time for those things.

She certainly didn't have time for a silly dance.

That was when Yang had stepped in.

Uncaring of her issues, her partner had bluntly told her she needed to "slow down."

While Blake was willing to admit Yang may have a point, Yang also didn't understand the relationship Blake had with the White Fang. She couldn't possibly comprehend the responsibility Blake felt as a result.

Yang wasn't the one who had abandoned her parents and spat on their legacy by burning down stores.

However, Yang had opened herself to Blake and shared something deeply personal. It had changed the way Blake looked at her loud, devil-may-care partner.

The least Blake could do after that display of trust was listen to Yang and take one night off.

In a way, Yang was right. The world wasn't going to end if she rested for one night. It hadn't during all those nights she had spent with Jaune. That was how Blake found herself going to the dance, deciding to take Sun up on his many indirect and not-so-indirect hints. It was nothing serious. Just one night dancing with her friends. Just a bit of fun.

Except Blake wasn't having fun.

It wasn't Sun's fault. Her fellow faunus was trying his best without trying too hard, a hard balance to maintain. He was good company and could keep a conversation going without trouble, a skill Blake could not claim to possess. The black shirt he was wearing was even halfway buttoned up. Something Blake never thought she'd see.

Yes, Sun wasn't the problem at all.

The problem was Neptune.

Sun had naturally gravitated towards his teammate, and at first, Blake hadn't minded. Having a third person around was a good thing. It reinforced the idea that this was not something serious. It was just a night out as friends.

Neptune wasn't bad company either. Even though Yang disliked him for some reason—something about him cheating in a game?—Neptune had a quick wit, and Blake even found herself laughing at some of his jokes.

Then he started flirting.

The Mistrali could just not stop flirting. Not with Blake obviously, or with anyone who had a date. However, there were plenty of girls who didn't have dates, and Neptune had an uncanny ability for finding them. He'd go to one and smoothly strike up a conversation. He'd charm her and make her laugh. The girl would then ask him if he wanted to dance.

That was when he turned them down.

The first time it happened, Blake found it weird. By the second and third time, a frown started forming in her face. Sun's smile seemed a little more brittle each time it happened, a sign he didn't approve of his friend's habits, but he also didn't seem to care enough to actually do something about them. He cared more about maintaining his friendship than about the girls whose feelings had been played with.

The whole thing left a bad taste in Blake's mouth.

As the night went on, Blake found herself less and less interested in the conversation around her despite Sun's best attempts to keep her involved. Soon, her gaze was drifting elsewhere.

That was when her eyes found Jaune.

Much to her surprise, he was dancing with Weiss. The two moved in tune with the music, looking perfectly at ease with each other. One would never be able to guess Weiss had rejected Jaune countless times just from looking at them. If anything, the Schnee looking distinctively happy in Jaune's arms.

Blake vaguely remembered hearing Jaune and Pyrrha were going to the dance as friends. As focused as she had been on the White Fang, not even she had been able to tune out Yang and Nora's loud excitement over it.

Blake wondered how Pyrrha felt about Jaune dancing with Weiss. Knowing her, the redhead would probably say she was okay with it. Knowing Jaune, he likely hadn't realized how him dancing with Weiss would affect his partner, even if it was just one dance.

Yang had once lamented how dense Jaune was for not noticing Pyrrha's feelings, but in Blake's opinion, it was Pyrrha who was too passive in her pursuit of him. And by passive, Blake meant Pyrrha hadn't done anything to get Jaune's attention. Sure, Pyrrha was nice to Jaune, but Pyrrha was nice to everyone.

She truly was too polite for her own good.

Still, who'd have thought Jaune would dance with two of the most sought-after girls in Beacon during the same night?

A part of Blake mused that maybe things wouldn't have gone this way if Jaune hadn't first gone through their short-lived relationship. That, in a way, it was because of her that Jaune was now dancing with the girl who had always rejected him, much to the envy of more than one set of eyes.

With those feelings came a rush of possessiveness.

Blake snuffed those feelings in an instant and was left wondering where had they come from. There was no reason for her to feel that way. It wasn't as if things between her and Jaune had ended badly. While not entirely amicable, their split had been quick and painless.

Jaune certainly hadn't wasted time moving on despite how badly he had wanted to go to the dance with her.

No. Stop it.

She wasn't jealous.

Blake was just… struck by the irony of it all. That was all. Jaune had wanted to go to the dance, and she hadn't. That had been what ultimately ended things between them. Blake hadn't wanted to waste her time with meaningless things. Now, here she was.

At the dance. With a date.

Just not with Jaune.

If Blake had said yes to him back then, would it really have been such a big deal?

Part of her said yes. It would have been. Saying yes to Jaune would have made things official between them. Blake hadn't wanted that. She wasn't ready for that level of commitment. Not so soon after Adam.

Yet, there was another part of Blake that told her she would be having a better time if she had come to the dance with Jaune.

Jaune had been… reliable.

In spite of Blake's worst fears, he hadn't once blabbed about their relationship to anyone. He had kept her secret, and to Blake, that meant a lot. Anytime she had needed him, he'd been there. Somewhere along the way, their encounters had become an essential part of her routine, and without him, Blake had defaulted to harmful habits.

And despite all that she.. hadn't been exactly fair to Jaune.

Blake frowned.

The relationship had been on her terms from the start. Sure, Jaune had agreed to those terms, but that didn't change the fundamental truth. She was always the one who decided when to meet and called him to fulfill her needs, never taking his into account. Sometimes, Blake had been so focused on her goals that she hadn't even considered whether he might have had plans or not. She just… used him.

The word left a bad taste in her mouth, and Blake quickly told herself that she hadn't forced Jaune into anything. It wasn't as if he hadn't enjoyed himself. However, that ugly word kept echoing in her head, digging deeper into her psyche.

Maybe she should have done things differently.

Maybe she should have told him the full story from the start and allowed him to make up his mind. Maybe she should have relied on her team more instead of seeking his embrace.

Maybe she should have been a better friend.

Something clicked in her mind. Under her bow, her ears stood straight. Before Blake knew what she was doing, she had excused herself, saying there was something she needed to talk to Jaune about. Sun was barely halfway through a confused okay by the time Blake had left.

Blake made her way across the dance floor with a purposeful stride. By the time she reached Jaune, the song playing had already ended. He and Weiss had parted ways, and Jaune was making his way back to Pyrrha.

"Excuse me," she said to Pyrrha just as Jaune reached her, "do you mind if borrow your partner for a dance?"

Blake Belladonna was a quiet person. That was not the same as being a subtle person.

"Blake?" Pyrrha's green eyes blinked, taken aback by her sudden intrusion. It took a moment for her to register Blake's words, a moment in which Blake studiously didn't look at Jaune. "What? Oh. Yes, I suppose you can."

"Thank you," Blake said, not giving Pyrrha a chance to rethink her answer. "I promise I will return him in one piece."

While Blake felt guilty for denying Pyrrha another dance with her partner, she needed to talk with Jaune and doing it while dancing was the safest way to do so. All the couples dancing were more interested in each other than in hearing them talk.

Thankfully, Jaune did not protest. The blond looked a bit confused but nevertheless allowed Blake to lead him to the dance floor. He automatically took her by the waist as the music started. It was a slow dance, likely one of Weiss' picks. Just as well. This would take some time.

"So…" Blake said, looking up at him and suddenly finding herself struggling to find the words that seemed so clear to her seconds ago.

"So?" Jaune prompted when she didn't say anything else. He didn't look angry, but he also didn't look happy. His face was carefully neutral, which wasn't an expression Blake had seen on him before.

She decided it didn't suit him.

"I wanted to talk to you," Blake said. "I figure people will be less likely to overhear us if we're dancing."

"I thought it was something like that," Jaune said, his voice slightly lower now. Someone else might have had trouble hearing him, but Jaune was speaking right into the ears hidden under her bow. Even with heels, he was taller than her.

"I see you came with Pyrrha," Blake said, trying to give herself some time to think.

"Yeah, I asked her if she wanted to come as friends. She said yes," Jaune answered. His voice was even enough for Blake to know she had accidentally touched a nerve.

"I see you came with Sun," he said, throwing her words back at her while leading her through a simple turn. Blake felt her chest tighten.

"Jaune, that's-"

"No, it's okay. I get it." Jaune's tone was perfectly resigned. "I haven't known him for long, but even I can tell Sun's a cool guy. He's funny and a great fighter. Also, he's a faunus-"

Jaune yelped as Blake not-so-delicately stepped on his foot.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't assume I'd be interested in a guy just because he's a faunus," Blake said, frowning. She grabbed the initiative her anger had given her and kept going. "I didn't come to the dance with Sun for any of those things. It's just like I told you. I wasn't planning on coming to the dance at all."

"Then why...?"

"Yang wouldn't let me be," Blake said, smiling slightly. "She saw I was overworking myself and wanted me to have a night off. Sun just happened to be available at the time. There is nothing more to it."

"Oh."

"I wanted you to know that." Blake took a deep breath. "And… I think I owe you an apology."

Surprised blue eyes blinked down at her.

"Blake?"

"I wasn't fair to you," Blake said, moving in tune with the music. There were people around them, but to Blake, they might as well not have existed at that moment. "When we were together, I didn't take your needs seriously enough. I only cared about what I wanted from you. That was selfish of me, and I am sorry."

For a moment, Jaune didn't reply. The only inking Blake had as to how he felt was the slight tensing of his muscles.

It didn't stop him from twirling her as the tempo sped up.

"I don't know much about relationships," Jaune said at last, "but I don't think it's wrong to be a little selfish about them. No one enters a relationship not wanting something. I didn't."

"That's true," Blake said as the music kept speeding up, forcing her and Jaune's bodies even closer. "But it becomes a problem when you stop caring about what the other person wants at all. That's what was happening to us."

If she had stopped Jaune that night… Blake wasn't sure what would have happened. Maybe things would have worked out, and they'd be dancing as a couple right now.

Maybe they wouldn't have.

"To me, you were becoming someone convenient and nothing else," Blake admitted, knowing the words would hurt Jaune and might jeopardize their friendship. Sure enough, she felt him tense against her, his hold on her suddenly tighter.

"Just convenient?"

"Yes," Blake said, lowering her gaze. "But that was wrong. I was wrong. That is why I need to say this. I am sorry, Jaune. You deserved better. I just hope you can forgive me."

For a moment, Jaune didn't say anything. Blake felt worry rise within her.

"Please, say something," she whispered.

"You know," Jaune said, sighing. "When the night started, I wasn't expecting to apologize to Weiss. I also wasn't expecting her to accept my apology or to apologize to me."

Blake's bow twitched as she looked up. Just where was he going with this?

Jaune sighed. "I'm saying I'd be a pretty big hypocrite if I didn't accept your apology. I'm not going to lie. What you said just now hurt a little, but that's the thing. I would have never known you were starting to think of me that way if you hadn't confessed just now. You didn't have to do it, but you did."

The smile on his face was tired, but it was a smile nonetheless, a real one. Blake found herself returning it.

"Besides, I already got one clean slate tonight. What's one more?"

"Jaune, I-"

Again, the music sped up. This time far more than before. Blake almost yelped as Jaune moved in tune with the sound. Leading her through a series of fast, complex movements that would have surely caused her to stumble if not for her training and natural grace.

Blake's eyes widened as she caught the guilty look on his face.

Had he just done that on purpose?

"Did you just-"

"Okay so, I may still be feeling a little resentment," Jaune admitted. "Sorry, that was petty of me, but in my defense, you have always known I'm not that cool."

Blake didn't know how to answer that. Suddenly, she was all too aware of how close they were to each other. She could feel the warmth radiating from Jaune's body. Underneath his cologne, she could smell his sweat. A scent she was more than familiar with from countless sleepless nights.

She leaned into his warmth.

"Do it again."

xXx

Jaune wished Blake would make sense.

Girls like Ruby and Pyrrha? Nice and quirky. Easy to understand. No problems there. It was why he got along with them so well. There was no need to carefully parse everything they said to understand them.

Even Weiss was easier to understand!

She didn't find his attempts to woo her remotely cool, so she treated him as an annoyance. Once he stopped, she stopped being hostile. When he apologized, she even apologized back. Jaune never saw the last bit coming, but he appreciated it all the same.

Blake though…

Jaune didn't know where to start.

They got drunk and had sex one night. Then instead of Blake throwing him out of the room, they had sex again. Jaune still had no idea how any of that happened. That was the sort of thing that happened to guys who were smooth or suave or any combination of things he wasn't.

In a sane world, that should have been the end of it. It was a good night, a great night. One he would treasure forever, but he had no illusions about Blake's feelings toward him or lack thereof. At most, he expected the experience to maybe make them closer than they were before. Maybe. Hopefully.

It was either that or being awkward around each other for the next four years.

What Jaune wasn't expecting was for Blake to drag him into an empty classroom for a repeat performance.

That had been the start of it. Before long, they were meeting in darkened classrooms at least once a week. It had been wild, surreal, and lots of other adjectives Jaune couldn't think of at the moment. Any guy should have been happy with just that. Just being with someone as amazing as Blake.

Not Jaune, though. He just had to want more. Dates and roses and all those other things he knew Blake didn't want. That was how he ended up walking away from what was probably one of the best things that were ever going to happen to someone like him.

Once again, things should have ended there. That he and Blake hadn't grown closer from the experience disappointed Jaune a little, but at least he'd been able to move on without all the drama present in those movies Saphron liked.

He'd come to the dance with Pyrrha and had a good time with her. He'd even been able to clear the air with Weiss, which had gone much more smoothly than he'd anticipated for what had been a spur of the moment decision.

Jaune would be lying if he said he wasn't a little hurt by Blake coming to the dance with Sun after she said no to him, but it was okay. He understood. Blake could go to the dance with whoever she wanted. She didn't owe him anything, and if he had to be honest, he'd also pick Sun over him.

Those gunchucks were just too cool.

Again, that should have been the end of it.

But nooo. Blake had to come and drag him to the dance floor to explain it was nothing serious. That she really hadn't planned on coming to the dance, and that Sun just happened to be there at the right time.

Then she had apologized to him.

Why?!

Jaune wanted to scream in frustration. Why did Blake need him to know that? Why did Blake need to apologize? Was she hinting at something? Was she telling him that if they had stayed together, they'd have gone to the dance as a couple? Did she just need to get it out of her mind?

Then, as the cherry on top, she had called him convenient.

That had hurt.

Enough that, when the song sped up, Jaune had deliberately upped the complexity of his steps out of spite. However, Blake's grace hadn't allowed her to make a fool of herself. Jaune still didn't know if he was glad or sad about that. He just knew that she'd asked him to do it again, and like an idiot, he'd complied.

It was all this damn song's fault!

The song had started out innocently enough, yet now, it forced their bodies together in ways that probably weren't appropriate for a school dance. This song wasn't from Mistral or Vale and certainly not from Atlas.

This song was from Mantle. Old Mantle.

It was from before the King of Mantle decided to suppress music and arts. Back when people sought ways to distract themselves from the cold with theater and dance. This was the sort of dance that had caused scandals back in the day when seen by people from other kingdoms.

Jaune refused to believe Weiss had included this song in the playlist, and he doubted Yang even knew about this type of song. The only conclusion he could come to was that someone had sneaked it in, likely to impress their date.

It was just too bad for Jaune that he knew exactly how this song was supposed to be danced.

His body went through movements with emotion. Was it passion or anger that fueled him? Jaune had no idea. His mind was a mess, and he needed to channel that somehow. If his partner were someone else, they wouldn't have been able to keep up with him. However, Blake was naturally graceful in a way that simply couldn't be taught.

Jaune merely needed to whisper short instructions into her bow and Blake would adapt flawlessly. A twist. A turn. Push and pull. A leg wrap.

Jaune clenched his jaw. She'd gotten the hang of the last one entirely too quickly.

As if he needed to feel more of her body than he already was.

There are dances, his mother had once told him, where the dancers aren't allowed to meet their partner's eyes. There was just too much passion in the act. If their eyes were to meet, that passion would surely overwhelm them, and soon, they'd be doing anything but dancing.

Back then, Jaune had been a kid, and so, hadn't really understood.

As he grew up, Jaune came to dismiss those words. Dancing was fun, but he'd never felt that passion his mother talked about.

Jaune was starting to get it now, and he was grateful the dance pushed them so close he couldn't meet Blake's eyes. The feel of her body against his. The sound of her breathing. The little gaps that escaped her mouth every now and then. Her scent. Everything around him was Blake. Every part of her brought forth countless pleasurable memories.

If Jaune saw those beautiful golden orbs, he wasn't sure what he was going to do.

No, that wasn't it. Jaune knew precisely what he was going to do.

If Jaune met her eyes, he was going to kiss Blake. No ifs or buts about it.

Desperate, Jaune forced his focus elsewhere. The bow! Yes, the bow! It was a green one. Different from her usual one. It was cute, yet Jaune found himself hating it. He didn't like that Blake covered her ears.

It was her choice, but in his opinion, she looked much better with her ears free.

The bow didn't quite go with her dress, a more analytical part of his mind noted. It was the part of Jaune that was used to going shopping with his sisters. Her dress also wasn't much to speak of. It didn't look bad on her—Jaune was pretty sure it was impossible for anything to look bad on Blake—but he could tell it had been rushed pick. Blake had most likely bought the dress just to have something to wear to the dance since she wouldn't have considered it important.

Yeah, that sounded like her.

Still, even with a simple dress, Blake looked amazing. With the right dress, Jaune was sure she'd have taken everyone's breath away. For one mad moment, Jaune wished he'd have been able to pick that dress for her. He wished he could show everyone just how radiant Blake could be.

When let her guard down and smiled. When she...

Stop it.

"I am supposed to lift you for the big finish," Jaune told Blake as he recognized the sequence. He then hurried to add. "It's nothing dangerous. I promise. We don't have to do it if you don't want to. Just...do you trust me?"

The moment he said it, Jaune wanted to slap himself.

What was he thinking? Stupid mouth! This was Blake he was talking to. That was a loaded question if there ever was one. He was about to take it back when he felt Blake's arms tighten around him, her head pressed against his chest as she whispered her answer.

"Yes."

xXx

"Seriously, what was that about?"

Blake rolled her eyes as Yang once against asked the same question. How many times had it been now?

"It was dancing, Yang. It was a dance. We danced."

"Yeah, pull the other one," the blonde said as she brushed her hair. The dance and the mission to Mountain Glenn were long over. Now, it was time for the last week of classes before the Vytal Festival started. "I know what dancing looks like. That thing you and Jaune were doing? That wasn't dancing."

Blake didn't bother looking up from her book. "It is not my fault that song started playing. As I recall, you and Weiss were the ones that picked it."

"Don't look at me. I had nothing to do with that. Someone snuck it into the playlist. A guy from Atlas. Name was Flynt or something. Doesn't matter. Anyway, since when do you dance with Jaune? Last I checked, you went to the dance with Sun."

"Sun was busy keeping Neptune company, and I wanted to dance." Blake met Yang's eyes, her face a mask of carefully crafted annoyance. "I saw Jaune dancing with Weiss and decided to ask him. Believe it or not, I haven't gone to that many dances in my life. I was trying to relax. Just like you wanted me to."

Here, Blake felt a pang of guilt. Yang probably imagined her childhood as something dark and gloomy on account of being part of the White Fang, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Back in the old days, the White Fang had been like one big family, and Blake's mother had made sure there was plenty of music and parties.

However, Yang didn't know that. Sure enough, she quickly backpedaled.

"Sorry," she said, a remorseful look on her face, "It just caught me by surprise, you know? I wasn't expecting to see you and Jaune… like that."

Blake could understand that. Never once had it occurred to her that she'd end up doing something like that in front of so many people. To make matters worse, more than one person had recorded them.

Just seeing the video had been enough for Blake's face to go bright red.

She and Jaune might as well have been grinding against each other in front of everyone. No wonder Sun's smile had been so strained when she returned to him. He had tried to keep up his good cheer, but the damage had been done.

She really hadn't been a good date for him.

Then there was Pyrrha.

"I'll remind you I was far from the only one who danced with Jaune that night,"

Yang snorted. "Well, of course, you weren't. Not after that performance. Who'd have thought Vomit Boy had it in him?",

Yet another thing for Blake to feel guilty about.

If Jaune dancing with Pyrrha and then Weiss had drawn more than a few stares, then their dance had enraptured the room. Blake still couldn't believe they hadn't noticed so many eyes on them, lost in their own little world as they were. However, the truth was they had caught the attention of a lot of people.

A lot of girls.

Many of the girls who had shown up without a date decided to ask Jaune for a dance. Then there were the girls who found themselves disappointed by the dancing abilities of their dates. As it turned out, being huntsmen-in-training did not make the students good or even passable dancers. They had devoted years to learn how to dodge, block and hit really hard with pointy weapons, not to move in tune with music.

Pyrrha, being Pyrrha, had allowed this to happen.

While Blake felt the Invincible GIrl should have put her foot down, she still felt horribly guilty about it all. She had unintentionally ruined the night of at least two people.

However, what was done was done.

Now, it was time to move on. What had happened with Jaune was… unexpected, but it was over. She had cleared things up with him and closed that chapter of her life.

"So, are you going to ask Jaune out or what?"

Blake choked. "What?"

Yang rolled her eyes at her. "Come on, you can't tell me you can dance with a guy like that and not feel a little something. How about it? Does P-Money need to worry about some competition?"

Blake gave Yang her flattest stare.

"No. Just… no."

Even though the light in Yang's eyes told Blake she was joking, she couldn't help the way her cheeks started to heat up. Blake turned her head in time to hide her blush as she recalled the dance. The way Jaune had held her. His voice whispering in her ears. His body against hers.

No.

Stop it.

She was not going down this road again. It hadn't worked out the first time. There was no reason it would work the second one. Blake had already ruined Pyrrha's night once. She had no intention of doing it again.

Then there was Weiss. The heiress' relationship with Jaune had warmed up considerably after the dance. Perhaps, Jaune's chances with her were not as doomed as everyone had thought. The way Blake saw it, Jaune already had enough on his plate without her making a mess of things.

And that was without taking her own issues into account.

Yes. Blake nodded to herself as she went back to her book. Nothing good would come out of pursuing Jaune. It was best to leave it as a pleasurable fantasy and nothing more.

That was what Blake resolved herself to do.

That was why she didn't smile at him whenever their gazes happened to meet.

She definitely didn't add an extra sway to her hips when she walked in front of him and most certainly didn't feel a thrill run through her body when she felt him looking.

Because if Blake did any of those things, well, that'd be trouble.

So much trouble.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **People have asked me for a sequel to Lonely Nights a few times. I'll admit I've thought about it once or twice. I even have a very vague outline. Spoiler Alert: Things gradually get better, then they get worse, then it gets really bad, and then it gets weird.**

 **However, I don't want to be a guy who does sequels just because. Not my style.**

 **Instead, I wrote this. As you can probably tell, this What-if scenario diverges from the main fic during chapter 3. In Lonely Nights, Blake stops Jaune from leaving. Here, she doesn't. Even as I was writing the main fic, this possibility was something I found myself wondering about.**

 **Here, I try my hand at showing what could have happened. Way less dark, but with a lot of teenage drama.**

 **Poor Pyrrha. Gets a date with the guy she likes, but everyone wants a dance. I kind of feel bad for putting her in that situation, but it's a thing she's a bit too passive when it comes to Jaune. Fun as it is to poke fun at Jaune for being clueless about Pyrrha's feelings (something I do quite a few times), the truth is Pyrrha never makes a move on the guy.**

 **Sure, we can tell she likes him, but that's us viewers. We can spot a ship being set up a mile away. Hell, sometimes two characters just exist and we ship them.**

 **I wasn't sure whether to add the Weiss parts or not. I didn't want to detract too much from the main plot, but I felt it was necessary to show how it is not just Jaune and Blake who are in a different place from canon. Here, Jaune never asked Weiss to the dance and never saw her asking Neptune out. Those differences cause ripples.**

 **Also, it made things messier, which was a plus. I kind of wanted this to be a messy thing.**

 **As for Neptune, he ended up being the cause of Sun's date with Blake getting kind of ruined. Believe it or not, I don't hate the guy. I even kind of like him. I have a soft spot for the dance arc in general. Neptune is so busy trying to be cool and afraid of just being himself that he ends up hurting Weiss. Weiss is similarly too humiliated and hurt to admit she was rejected. She has too much pride for that.**

 **What happens here is just the result of how someone who doesn't have the full context for Neptune's actions could react to them. Sun knows Neptune's deal and sticks with him because he's his friend. Here, that backfired for him.**

 **As for Blake and Jaune, they're horny. Like, really horny. I mean, there's a lot of other stuff there about trying to move on and wondering about missed chances and whatnot, but they're also horny and very aware of each other.**

 **Anyway, I rambling way too much here.**

 **Till next time!**


	17. Autumnal

**So, I've been pretty sick lately. Apologies for any drop in quality.**

* * *

 **Autumnal**

* * *

Neptune had been super excited about going to Haven together.

Sun hadn't.

Three years of Combat School in Mistral had taught Sun that it just wasn't right for him. Mistral was a bit too stiff, a bit too rigid. It just didn't mesh with a guy like him.

That was why Sun had chosen Beacon instead.

Neptune had been devastated to learn about it. Sun had a feeling Neptune wanted to follow him, but by then, his transcripts had already been accepted by Haven. Well, that and the prospect of moving to another Kingdom had been too daunting for him.

Neptune was many things, but a free spirit wasn't one of them.

In the end, the two friends had gone their separate ways. Neptune had been worried about striking out on his own, but Sun had assured him he had nothing to worry about. Sure, when they first met Neptune had been a geeky little guy with a face full of acne and the social skills of a nervous turtle, but that wasn't the case anymore.

Neptune was now a proud graduate of the Sun School of Awakening to Your Inner Awesome!

Sun was confident his friend would be just fine, and indeed, all the scroll calls he had with Neptune since the school year began only confirmed this.

For his part, Sun had found Vale hit the sweet spot between not being as rigid as Mistral while also not being a desert wasteland like Vacuo. It was exactly what he had been looking for.

Plus, Beacon had Banana Tuesdays.

Neptune might be his best buddy, but Sun was pretty sure Haven didn't have Banana Tuesdays. As far as he was concerned, that more than justified his decision.

After loading his tray full of banana pancakes, banana bread, and banana juice, the leader of Team SPRN made his way to the table where the rest of his team was having breakfast. He smiled when he saw Ruby and Weiss there.

"Hey, guys!" Sun waved as he took a seat next to Ren. It was never a good idea to sit next to Nora when she was eating pancakes. "How's it going?"

Ruby groaned in response. Her forehead trying to bury itself into the table.

"Kill me."

"Rough night?" Sun asked while shoving a large, fluffy piece of pancake into his mouth.

A content hum escaped him.

In contrast to his happy mood, Ruby lifted her face to reveal dark bags under her eyes.

"Weiss made me study all night. She gives me homework, Sun! Homework!"

Sun winced at Ruby's haunted tone.

"Don't be so melodramatic," Weiss said, heedless of her partner's suffering. She flipped her hair in a way Sun swore had to be practiced. "You know we need to work on your grades. You are two years behind everyone else, and I will not have my team leader fall behind."

Sun had to admit Weiss had a point.

As he understood it, Ruby had jumped ahead two years because she was awesome like that. The girl would blush and insist on having normal knees whenever it was pointed out, but normal knees could not wield a scythe like Ruby did.

You needed awesome knees for that.

However, as great as Ruby was when it came to kicking ass, theory was a different story. Beacon was tough. Even Sun had some trouble keeping his grades up, and unlike Ruby, he had finished Combat School. If Ruby wanted to avoid failing, she was going to need to do extra work. Weiss wasn't wrong about that.

Had this been the beginning of the year, Sun would have thought that Weiss was trying to undermine Ruby by bringing up her poor grades. Unlike Team SPRN, Team RWBY had not gotten the best start, largely due to Weiss not being willing to accept Ruby as the team leader. Thankfully, those days were behind them. Weiss now seemed to be trying to be the best teammate she could be.

It was just…

"Really, Ruby, this is no time to relax. I have taken the liberty of crafting a study schedule for us." The table shook as Weiss produced a giant, color-coded binder out of nowhere. Ruby whimpered. "If we follow this schedule, you'll be on par with the other students with merely two hundred hours of extra work. Isn't that grand?"

Weiss was a bit too intense about everything.

'Help me,' Ruby mouthed at him. Deciding to momentarily rescue Ruby—Sun was afraid no one could really save her from Weiss permanently—he tried to change the subject.

"Say, where are Yang and Blake? Another hair accident?"

Sun hoped not. Yang had nearly wrecked their floor last time.

Like, the entire floor.

To his surprise, Weiss frowned and clicked her tongue. "Nothing like that, I am afraid. Blake is being asinine."

"Huh?"

"She means she's being Blake," Ruby explained.

"Oh."

"Honestly." Again, Weiss did the hair flip. "The way she acts, you'd think the police didn't exist. It's like she thinks she's the only one who can do something about the White Fang. Yang is trying to talk some sense into her, a sentence I never thought I'd say."

"Women, am I right?"

"Nora, don't talk with your mouth full."

Sun frowned as he wiped some of the food that had landed on his cheek with a napkin. Blake's concern over the White Fang was something that had been going on for some time now, but lately, it seemed to be getting worse. He hoped Yang got through to her.

On the sunny side, if Blake wasn't here, she couldn't give him dirty looks for eating so many bananas, and, as she put it, "reaffirming negative stereotypes about the faunus."

While Sun was of the firm belief that Blake was one of the coolest people ever—really, Beacon was just full of cool people—even he was willing to admit Blake got a bit too… Blakey when it came to faunus issues.

Plus, did she not see how much tuna she ate?

Pot, Kettle much?

As Sun was thinking about such things, the door to the cafeteria opened. Instantly, all conversation quieted down. Weiss' expression went down about a hundred degrees in temperature, and even Ren, who was just about the most Zen guy ever, frowned a little.

"Great," Ruby said, frowning. "It's them."

In every place, there were always a couple of bad apples. That was something Sun had learned throughout his life. Whether it was Vacuo or Mistral, it always held true.

Beacon was no different.

Three young men strutted into the cafeteria, laughing and bumping shoulders, their boisterous behavior a stark contrast to their less than warm reception.

One of the boys was a tall, bulky redhead. Another was a lanky teen with a green mohawk. The last member of the trio was somewhere between the two in terms of build. His hair was a dark grey, and like the others, he had a cocksure expression on his face.

Cardin Winchester. Russel Thrush. Sky Lark.

They were bullies. Plain and simple.

Almost as if to prove Sun right, Cardin deliberately tripped a passing by student, sending him and his tray of food to the floor. The three laughed.

"Ugh, I hate those guys," Ruby said. She wasn't alone in that sentiment. Many dark glares were aimed at the three. "I can't believe they get away with so much stuff."

Normally, they wouldn't. The three were average by Beacon standards but no more than that. It wasn't as if they were unstoppable powerhouses by any stretch of the imagination.

If it were just the three of them, they would be a minor nuisance at best.

"Well, of course, they get away with it. It's 'cause they have Ja-"

At once, three hands flew to cover Nora's mouth. Weiss abstained because there was no way she was getting Nora's half-eaten food anywhere near her body.

However, the damage had been done.

The J-Word had been spoken.

At once, all the gazes in the table shifted towards the last occupant.

"So, Pyrrha," Sun said, feeling it was his responsibility as team leader to calm her down. "Nice weather, we're having, right?"

The look in her emerald eyes made cold sweat appear on his neck.

When he and Pyrrha had first teamed up, Sun had been happy. Pyrrha was super cool, nice, and about as kickass as they came. As far as Sun was concerned, she was the best partner ever.

In a way, Pyrrha kind of reminded him of Neptune. They both had issues when it came to confidence. That was why Sun, being the awesome partner that he was, had been trying to get Pyrrha to assert herself more since the beginning of the year, something that had been going rather well.

Then that fated spar happened.

One thing was for sure, Jaune Arc may be the most conniving and evil person Sun had ever met, but that didn't stop him from feeling a twinge of pity for what would happen to him once Pyrrha got her hands on him.

xXx

It had taken some time, but Blake had finally lost Yang.

It wasn't as if Blake didn't understand where Yang was coming from. However, this wasn't something she could just drop. It was true the police was out there trying to do something about the White Fang, but the police had been trying to do that for months without success. Torchwick and the White Fang were still out there, stealing as much Dust as they could.

A different person might have been able to tell herself it wasn't her job to do something about it, that she had washed her hands of everything to do with the White Fang when she cut the train and left Adam behind.

Blake wished she was that type of person. That way, she would be able to sleep peacefully.

She wasn't.

The White Fang was her responsibility. Yang didn't understand why that was. She thought it was merely her guilty conscience due to being a former member, but it was more than that. Blake was Ghira Belladonna's daughter. She had been there when her father had stepped down and had cheered Sienna and Adam every step of the way.

Sometimes, Blake wondered why Weiss had never once brought up her parentage. Her father had been a public figure during his tenure as High Leader, and Weiss was far from uninformed. It was unlikely the heiress hadn't put two and two together by now. Then again, Weiss hadn't inquired about her past with the White Fang at all.

It might be that it was just like Weiss said at the docks.

She didn't want to hear it.

Was it because Weiss was genuinely willing to give her a blank slate or because Weiss feared learning all Blake had done would irreparably damage their friendship? Whatever the reason, Blake was grateful to Weiss, and right now, she wished Yang could take a page out of Weiss' book and leave her be.

The library wasn't exactly the best place to get away from Yang. Her teammate knew her habits. However, there were a few things Blake needed to print. She'd go somewhere a little more private later.

As Blake approached one of the terminals, a student rushed out of a row of bookshelves, dashing for the exit and nearly bumping into Blake in the process. Even with as little sleep as she was getting, Blake managed to move out of the way in time. A second after she did, Blake's eyes narrowed.

Brown hair, matching eyes, and long rabbit ears. Blake's gaze moved to where the girl had come running from, her mind already having a pretty good idea of what had happened. Only one student in Beacon could be so brazen with his racism.

Usually, Blake wouldn't get involved with such things. She had been trying hard to keep a low profile ever since entering Beacon. That was why she had avoided standing up for her fellow faunus when she saw them being bullied. If Blake was seeing sympathizing too heavily with the faunus, her identity as one could be exposed. From there, it was only a matter of time until someone linked her to her father.

It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but Blake told herself it was for the best.

Right now, all those concerns seemed immaterial. Maybe it was because she was tired of just standing by. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep. Whatever the case, Blake moved with purposeful steps towards the source of her anger.

"Jaune Arc!"

Sure enough, there he was. Reading a book as if he hadn't just terrorized a poor faunus girl. Upon hearing her call out his name, the blond had the gall to roll his eyes at her. He didn't even have the decency to feel bad about what he'd done.

Then again, what could she expect from someone so despicable?

Out of all the first-year students, Jaune Arc was undoubtedly the most notorious. Unfortunately, it was for all the wrong reasons.

Blake wasn't naive enough to expect all the students at Beacon to be paragons of virtue, but she had been expecting people willing to rise above the petty squabbles that so often plagued society. After all, Beacon was a place where the future defenders of humanity were trained, people willing to put their lives at stake, so that others could live in peace.

Certainly, Blake had found people like her teammates and Team SPRN. Who'd have ever thought one day she'd be able to call a Schnee a friend? Certainly not her. It was further proof that Adam and Sienna were wrong.

Then there was Team AWTL, who seemed to be deliberately crafted by the gods so Adam could point them and mock her.

Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, and Sky Lark were nothing more than thugs. They should not have lasted long in an institution like Beacon. In a fair and just world, they'd have quickly been put in their place the moment they messed with the wrong student. Yes, in a fair and just world, that was precisely what should have happened. The three did not deserve to become huntsmen as far as Blake was concerned.

However, Jaune Arc existed.

While the leader of Team AWTL hadn't particularly stood out during the Initiation, it was now clear that he had merely been biding his time. As soon as classes started, Team AWTL had asserted itself as a force to be reckoned with using a combination of intimidation tactics, dominating performances during team matches, and plain bullying.

Somehow, the team never bit off more than it could chew. They always managed to skirt right on the edge of the rules with precision that would make lawyers jealous.

Once, a third-year team had tried to put them in their place for the good of everyone. Logically, that should have been the end of Team AWTL.

Blake fought back a shudder.

She could still remember the Beacon Waffle Massacre. Some still hadn't recovered from the ordeal.

And there was what happened to Pyrrha.

No! Enough was enough! Blake would stay silent no longer! Jaune Arc was going to hear what she had to say!

"Okay, what did I do this time?" Jaune Arc asked, one hand on his hip. The other one held a book Blake recognized as a fairly entertaining fantasy novel. Knowing she might share interests with Jaune Arc was enough to make her feel ill. "Did I shave your pet? Unveil an embarrassing middle school secret? Somehow made you look bad in front of your crush? Created an elaborate scheme so your dog would eat your homework?"

"What? No! None of those things!"

Blake would die before allowing a dirty mutt into her room.

"Oh." Jaune seemed to think for a moment. "Did I steal your underwear? I mean, I told them not to do that, but you never know."

"NO!" Blake's face flushed with rage and embarrassment. A shushing sound came from the librarian. "I am here because of what you did to that faunus girl!"

Jaune had the gall blink at her. "Who?"

"The girl who just ran out of here!" Blake hissed.

"Oh, Velvet? You know, you really should be more specific when you talk about people. You can't just go around calling them faunus. I mean, you wouldn't like it if I went around calling you human, would you?"

Blake's eyebrow twitched as Jaune spoke.

"Anyway, what about Velvet?"

"What about her? You're bullying her!"

Again, the librarian made a shushing noise from her desk.

"What? No, I'm not."

"I just saw her run away from here."

"So, what?" Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "She's Velvet. She does that. I mean, come on. I'm a first year. She's a second year. Do you really think I could do anything to her? She'd kick my ass."

"I can't believe you have the gall to lie to my face! How dare you pretend to be innocent! Do you think there's any student who doesn't know what you have done!"

It was at this moment that the librarian lost her patience with Blake and threw a book at her with perfect accuracy. She even reinforced the book with Aura for added measure. Had Blake not been a faunus with four ears, she wouldn't have heard it coming. As it was, Blake barely managed to duck under it in time.

"Yeah, you really should watch your volume in the library," Jaune said. "You're lucky she just threw a book. You don't want to know what she can do with an aura-reinforced pencil and…"

Blake blinked as Jaune suddenly trailed off, staring at her as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. For a moment, she thought her bow had come off, but she could still feel it securely wrapped around her ears.

"That didn't knock you out," Jaune said, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.

Blake narrowed her eyes at him. Was that his game? Forcing people to be loud in the library so the librarian with huntsmen training would do his job for him?

How cunningly fiendish of him.

"Are you disappointed?" She asked, this time with the appropriate volume for a library, not willing to fall for his trap once again.

"What? No, you don't get it." Unlike before, when Jaune had looked almost bored, his expression now veered close to panic. "You're not unconscious. We're actually exchanging sentences without comical interruptions. My team hasn't come in thinking this is part of some scheme. The teachers haven't called me because those idiots got themselves into trouble thinking they were following my orders. No one is trying to beat my ass because of some misunderstanding. We're actually communicating with each other. That's what's happening, right?"

"I…" Against her better judgment, Blake nodded. "Yes?"

Jaune's reaction was immediate.

"You gotta help me."

"What? No!"

"Please!" Before Blake could move away, Jaune took her hands in his and looked at her with pleading eyes. "You don't understand! I'm innocent!"

Blake stared at Jaune, stunned. This was not how she imagined this conversation going at all.

"I know it sounds hard to believe, but it's true. All the rumors! All the things people say I've done! None of it is true! It's just a bunch of misunderstandings! I swear!"

As soon as the shock had come, it left. Blake scoffed.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

Jaune sighed and let go of her hands. He seemed to deflate a little. Not quite as desperate as before, yet undeniably gloomy.

"I know it sounds crazy," he said, brushing some hair away from his forehead. He held up a hand. "But look. Just hear me out, okay? I promise there's a reasonable explanation for everything."

Taking Blake's skeptical silence as agreement, Jaune began his tale.

"It all started the day before the Initiation. That's when I met Cardin. He recognized the Arc family emblem on my shield. Apparently, our grandparents fought together in the war."

Blake's eyes narrowed as she did the math in her head. For it to be their grandparents who had fought together, it'd have been during the Faunus Rights Revolution.

She doubted the grandfathers of either human fought on the side of the faunus.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Racism is bad and all that." Jaune rolled his eyes, angering Blake as well as making her wonder if maybe she was more transparent than she believed. "Look, I don't control which side of the war my grandpa fought in. At that time, I was just happy to make a friend. He introduced me to Russel that night, and Sky ended up gravitating toward us. I mean, sure, they didn't let me wear my onesie for some reason, but I was just happy to have friends."

His what?

"The problems started the next day, right after I was launched off the cliff." Jaune grimaced "It was such a huge shock that it ended up unlocking my Aura."

"Unlocking?" Blake quirked an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't your Aura be unlocked by then?"

"Did I say unlocked?" Jaune laughed nervously. "I meant activated. Yeah, that's it. It was such a huge shock that I automatically activated my Aura as I was falling because obviously I already had my Aura unlocked by then. Yep.."

Blake didn't see where Jaune was going with this. Of course, he'd have to activate his Aura right after being launched. Not doing so would be suicide.

"Anyway, I take my sword out and decide to stab the nearest tree to slow down my fall. It would have worked too... except for the part where I missed."

"You missed... a tree?"

"And I landed on an Ursa Major instead," Jaune continued, a faint blush on his cheeks. "All the speed I picked up from falling made sure my sword went right through its head. One stab. Bang. Dead. I was screaming all throughout it, but if you ignore that part, it probably looked awesome."

Jaune sighed.

"Unfortunately, that's what Cardin did. See, the Ursa had been about to get him, so he was more focused on the big monster attacking him rather than the guy screaming for his life, so…"

"So he thought you jumped in to save him," Blake surmised. Jaune nodded.

"Yep. He thought I had heroically jumped in to save him, and I might have decided to roll with it."

Blake frowned. As expected of Jaune Arc.

"Look, I'm not going to say it was the right thing to do, but Cardin was the first person I made eye-contact with. I figured it was best to start things with the right foot. What was the worst that could happen, right?" Jaune laughed, but there was a note of desperation there. "It worked for a while. Cardin was 100% willing to follow my lead, and once we found Russel and Sky, he made them fall in line easily enough. Guy has a way of making himself heard."

The double-handed mace probably had something to do with it.

"Things went fine in the Initiation, but then I realized I had a bit of a problem."

"That your team was full of jerks?"

"Yeah, kinda." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Look, in my defense, it's not like people advertise that sort of stuff. You'd have to be pretty one-dimensional if all there was to you was being pettishly evil."

Somewhere in Vale, Cinder Fall sneezed.

Blake crossed her arms, still not convinced. "If you don't agree with their behavior, then you should have done something about it. You're their team leader. Don't try to pretend they don't listen to you."

There were few teams as fanatically loyal to their leader as Team AWTL. Everyone in Beacon knew that.

"You don't think I've tried that?" Jaune asked with a haunted look on his face. "I tried telling them to stop. So many times, I tried. But they're dumb, Blake. They're so very dumb. I told them to treat a guy nicely once. They beat him when his back was turned. I make a comment about someone needing to watch their step. They think it's code for tripping them up. I tell them to lay low. They think it's because I have a brilliant scheme and proceed to chuckle evilly, which, of course, is going to scare everyone, because who laughs evilly? Seriously, who does that?"

Again, Cinder Fall sneezed.

"It's like I'm in a mafia movie where everything I say is code for doing something horrible. Take care of business. Go for a walk. Make the waffles."

"Make the waffles?"

Jaune shuddered.

"You don't want to know. Trust me. I have tried to get them to change, but they're just too dumb. There's no reasoning with them. There's just too many layers of stupid getting in the way, and what's worse is that things keep happening to reinforce them. The coincidences keep piling up. How was I supposed to know that fourth-year guy was allergic to chocolate? How does that even happen? But you hear them talk, and it's like it was all part of my master plan."

"What about Pyrrha then? You seemed to do that all on your own."

"That!" Jaune said, pointing at her. "That's what I'm talking about. Do you really think I'm remotely skilled enough to have done that to Pyrrha? No way. The whole thing was a complete accident. I swear my sword moved on its own for a moment there, and I'd have missed Pyrrha entirely if I hadn't... tripped."

"You… tripped?"

"It sounds ridiculous, right?" Jaune asked, nodding fervently. "But yeah, I tripped and tried to grab hold of the nearest thing, one thing led to another, and well, you know what happened next."

Blake knew. The whole school knew. There was even a video floating online.

"It's like the gods have it out for me. Whenever I try to explain things, I just make myself look worse. Something always interrupts." Jaune looked at her with unnerving intensity. "Until you."

Blake would have backed away if Jaune hadn't suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You're the first person I've been able to tell all this, Blake," Jaune said, an almost manic gleam in his eyes. "You have to help me. Please! I'll do anything. Just help me clear things up."

"You really expect me to help you clean your reputation with the whole school?"

"Well, it's either that or helping me patch things up with Pyrrha, so she doesn't kill me."

"...on second thought, helping with the rest of the school doesn't sound too bad."

As a crying Jaune engulfed her in a hug while thanking her profusely, Blake found herself wishing she had listened to Yang.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Team AWTL: Team Autumnal**

 **Team SPRN: Team Spring**

 **Well, Team AWTL mostly call themselves Team Autumn. Sky protests sometimes, but no one cares about Sky.**

 **This is an idea I've had for a while. Jaune being in a team with Cardin and kind of earning his undying admiration through misunderstandings. Some people are probably going to think Ciaphas Cain, but the inspiration came from Captain Buggy from One Piece. You know how he ends up getting a crew of idiots who all think he's completely amazing? This is that.**

 **To be honest, I have no confidence in being able to make a full story out of this. Comedy is hard. You need skill to make comedic misunderstandings work in a way that doesn't tire the reader.**

 **As an aside, Yandere Velvet was one of the ideas that I toyed with for this, with Blake learning that Velvet doesn't care for being "saved" from Jaune.**

 **Anyway, till next time!**


	18. The 41st

**This was an idea suggested by a reviewer, and I felt like giving it a shot.**

* * *

The village gates shook with force, the monsters outside impatient to get in. A child cried into his mother's skirts. A drunken man laughed deliriously, already having given up hope. There was no one working in the village. Most families had locked themselves in, windows and doors blocked with whatever they could use. Everyone was nervous. Fearful.

Waiting.

It had been a small pack of Beowolves at first. Nothing the village hadn't faced before. Fire a couple of guns in their general direction, and they'd flee. That was how they handled things. The village walls would hold firm.

Except the Beowolves hadn't fled.

They had howled all night long, and in doing so, had stoked their fear. One of the villagers had theorized there was an Alpha leading the pack. It didn't matter. What mattered was what happened afterward. The slight boost in negativity was all it took to draw more Grimm from the surrounding areas. Before long, there were too many of them for the villagers to deal with.

It was a small mercy, but no flying Grimm had been drawn by the negativity yet. If they had been, the village would be in far worse shape. Still, it was only a matter of time until the horde outside brought the walls down.

It was the third day of the siege. The village walls which had once seemed so sturdy now groaned in protest every time a Grimm bashed against them. They wouldn't last the day. The walls would break, and the Grimm would rush in.

The villagers knew it, and the knowledge only served to spike their fear.

During the first and second days, arrows and guns had been fired from the walls by the villagers. They fired at the monsters until they ran out of ammunition. They brought down many of the Grimm yet more had come to fill in their ranks. The villagers had to get creative after that. Boiling oil had fallen on the Grimm next.

However, no matter how many Grimm they killed, more came.

A group of villagers who had volunteered to fight waited behind the gates. They were men and women armed with knives, brooms, and pitchforks. It was a futile gesture. They all knew that. Nothing but one last act of defiance. The Grimm would overrun them. No one among their number had even gone to combat school.

They had called for aid during the first day, but who knew if their message had reached the kingdom? The signal was not great so far outside the kingdom's walls.

Sweat shone on their pale faces. The sunny sky a stark contrast to the gloom emanating from them.

"Look! Over there!"

Someone shouted, finger pointed at the horizon. The others did not immediately understand, but soon more fingers and voices joined the first. A lone dot had appeared in the distance, flying in the sky.

A bullhead!

"It's them!"

"Huntsmen?"

"It must be!"

Hope warred against despair. Could this be it? Were they saved? Would their heroes arrive before the Grimm broke down the gates?

They did.

Grenades were fired at the Grimm from the bullhead. Pink explosions went off outside the village walls, their heroes dropping down to earth like the gods of myth.

"It's them!"

"Team Juniper! I saw them at the Vytal Festival!"

"Team JNPR Is here!"

Cries of terror were replaced by cheers of joy. Their heroes had arrived, and no tragic endings were allowed under their watch. There would be no deaths that day.

* * *

 **The 41st**

* * *

Time had a way of changing things, sometimes in unexpected ways.

Those were Weiss' thoughts as she looked at the scene playing out in front of her.

"See, it's an easy mistake to make. You should have gone left instead of right at the end of the hall to get to the cafeteria."

"Thank you!"

"You're so helpful."

Weiss watched with a face that might as well have been carved out of ice as the two students—hussies—lavished Jaune with attention. Laughing at his lame jokes. Giggling and pretending to be amazed by the simple task of being able to point them towards the cafeteria.

"There's a map app students can download to their scrolls. I recommend it. Makes it easier to get to classes on time."

Another round of giggling. One of the girls "jokingly" ran her hand over Jaune's arm. Weiss briefly considered cutting that hand off. Not because she was jealous or anything like that. Perish the thought. Weiss just didn't appreciate the interruption.

The library was supposed to be a place of silence!

Three minutes later, Jaune returned to their table. He met Weiss' frosty glare with oblivious happiness.

"Is something wrong, Weiss?"

Weiss's glare faded. She sighed as she placed one hand on her forehead.

"You really have no idea what just happened, do you?"

Jaune blinked, confused. The moron. "I helped out some first-years find the cafeteria?

Gods grant her patience. He really believed that.

"Jaune, this is the second semester. Do you really think those two don't know the way to the cafeteria by now?"

"Maybe they are really bad with directions?"

Weiss' eyebrow twitched. "They were flirting with you, you dolt."

"They were?"

The sad part was Jaune actually looked shocked by that. Was that her fault? No. The notion was immediately discarded from her mind. It wasn't her constant rejections that had made Jaune incapable of taking a hint. He had come to Beacon like that. The sheer length of time it took Jaune to notice Pyrrha's feelings proved it.

Personally, Weiss blamed his father.

All you need is confidence? What was the man thinking?

"Yes, they were," she said through gritted teeth. "Blatantly, I must add."

During their first year, the notion of people hitting on Jaune Arc would have been new and strange to her. However, that had been well over two years ago. Times changed.

Peopled changed.

Back then, Jaune had been scraggly, uncoordinated, and lacking any semblance of social graces. He also hadn't been a particularly good fighter. When Weiss first met him, she had been sure Jaune wouldn't pass the initiation. Once he did, she told herself he would most likely drop out before the year was up.

In a way, Weiss had been wrong about Jaune in the same way she had been wrong about Ruby. It had just taken her longer to realize it.

It had taken Weiss many months to realize that under the bumbling fool, there was a great friend.

It had taken her even longer to realize that Jaune wouldn't stay a bumbling fool forever.

By the end of their first year at Beacon, Jaune had gone from dreadful to passable. He was still on the lower end of their year as far as fighting skill went, but he made up for it with Aura. He no longer stood out by how bad he was. All that training with Pyrrha had shown some results, which had allowed Jaune to put up a decent performance during the team rounds of the Vytal Festival.

Thanks to Pyrrha, Team JNPR had been the winner of the tournament. The victory had given Jaune some public notoriety. As Weiss understood it, it had also led to an altercation with his family, although Weiss didn't have all the details. Jaune hadn't offered, and she hadn't pried.

Family issues were private.

For their second year at Beacon, Jaune came back changed. He upgraded his armor and weapon. Weiss later found out that he and Pyrrha had spent their summer vacation over at Argus. They both had family there and had used the opportunity to get more training done.

Weiss hadn't exactly lazed around during the summer, but there was no denying Jaune had put in a lot of effort. Jaune came back stronger, surer of himself. He wasn't beating people left and right, but it seemed like he had finally reached the level where he could call himself a huntsman-in-training.

As second years, Team JNPR had taken a lot of missions, which had helped their popularity grow. While Team RWBY had done its fair share of heroics during missions, Jaune, being Pyrrha's partner, had received special attention from the media. However, Weiss couldn't say all the attention was entirely undeserved. Jaune's performance during missions spoke for itself. He had quite a few accomplishments under his belt.

With the Vytal Festival once more around the corner, it was only natural that people would pay special attention to him.

Especially girls who wanted a taste of fame.

It didn't hurt that Jaune was not exactly ugly to look at. He had shot up another inch or two… as if he needed to be taller. He was no longer scraggly anymore but instead… well…

In any case, Jaune had become a desirable match, even if he hadn't realized it. It was up to her to caution him on the dangers of gold diggers.

"Is there something on my face?"

"Nothing," Weiss replied a little too quickly. Her hands went to her notes. Notes were safe, reliable, and uncomplicated. "We should get back to work. Your flirting has cost us enough time already.."

"I wasn't-"

"Need I remind you that you are the one who asked for my help?" Weiss asked, a hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised.

"You're right," Jaune said, raising his hands in surrender. Victory felt sweet. It was good to know she could still wither him with a look. "I'm sorry. No distractions from now on. Where were we?"

"We were covering the four basic types of Dust."

"Right." Jaune nodded. "Fire, water, earth, and wind."

Weiss nodded approvingly. It was something everyone learned in combat school, and the subject was also covered during their first year at Beacon, yet as more types of Dust were introduced, it was easy to lose sight of the basics.

"Correct," Weiss said, pushing her notes so Jaune would see them. She pointed at a section with her pencil. "By combining these four types of Dust, more can be created. Sometimes these combinations happen naturally due to the movement of the planet's crust. For example, gravity, lightning, and ice are all types of Dust that can be found in nature. I trust you are more than familiar with them by now."

Unsurprisingly, Jaune nodded. Nora used lightning Dust to charge her Semblance, Ruby used gravity Dust bullets to propel herself when using Crescent Rose, and Weiss' preference for ice Dust was known to everyone. Jaune, having trained and gone on missions with all of them, understood how those types of Dust worked.

"However, there are certain types of Dust that can only be obtained through artificial means."

Jaune hummed. "Like what Velvet uses?"

"Hard-Light Dust, and yes, it is fairly rare."

Expensive too. Hard-Light Dust was hard to manufacture, which was unfortunate for the fourth-year student. It was a good thing Beacon could provide her with the Dust she needed to make her weapon work, but even then, Velvet needed to be careful when using her weapon. It was something best saved for emergencies.

"Most people use Dust in bullets," Weiss kept going. "Not many go out of their way to directly manipulate Dust. However, as I understand it, that is what you wish to do."

Jaune nodded.

"I figured it was time to learn something new. I've gotten good with Crocea Mors, but that just means I'm limited to what I can hit with my sword. It sucks when I can't help the others shoot down Grimm." An uncomfortable look appeared on his face. "Ruby suggested I add a gun to Crocea Mors but…"

Weiss nodded sympathetically

Ruby was a great friend and smarter than most people gave her credit for. However, if Ruby had her way, everything would be a gun.

Even her precious Myrtenaster.

No.

Just. No. Classics were classic for a reason. Sometimes a sword just needed to be a sword.

"So yeah, I figured I needed to try something new. Dust seemed like a good place to start."

Modifying his fighting style when the tournament was just around the corner?

Weiss could never see herself doing that. Her fighting style was something she had refined through the years. She may brush up on her hand-to-hand skills every now and then, but she wasn't about to start fighting with her fists like Yang. The same went for Yang. She wouldn't trade her gauntlets for blades anytime soon. They both had fighting styles they had refined through trial and error.

Jaune didn't.

Jaune was still learning and still trying out new things. He didn't have to worry about a personal style because he was still discovering it. He wasn't content to rest on his successes but instead stepped outside his comfort zone constantly.

How enviable.

"If you plan on using Dust, there are a few other ways in which you can go about it. You could modify Crocea Mors to include a Dust barrel. That way, you would be able to infuse the blade with Dust at will."

"I tried putting Dust on the blade once," Jaune said, "I couldn't get it to do any of the cool stuff you do."

"Jaune, I have trained to control Dust for years," Weiss said flatly. "Of course, you couldn't have managed more than basic elemental infusion."

Jaune laughed nervously.

"Another way of using Dust is to weave it into clothing." An age-old technique. Usually, Weiss wouldn't mention it, but Jaune tended to have a preference toward the old-fashioned, not that he had noticed it.

Jaune hummed in thought at that. His hand went to his chin. "If I can infuse Dust in clothing, can't I just put it directly on my skin."

"Sure you can," Weiss said, flipping a page on her notes, "If you don't mind the agonizing pain."

"Ouch. That bad?"

"Worse," Weiss said, looking at him seriously. "Infusing Dust directly into your body would put you under tremendous strain. You'd need impeccable control over Dust to even attempt such a thing." Weiss could probably do it, but she didn't see the need to put herself through all that. "Failing that, you'd need an insane amount of pain tolerance."

Insane pain tolerance and also insane amounts of Aura, not that Weiss was about to mention the last one.

Knowing Jaune, it might inspire him to attempt it.

"I guess I'll have to decide between the other two then," Jaune said, scratching the back of his neck. It made him look endearing, but Weiss wished he'd drop the habit. He was already a third-year student.

He needed to be more confident in himself!

"Precisely, but before we move on to practice, let's cover a few safety points first. Dust can be dangerous if mishandled."

For the next hour, Weiss and Jaune studied side by side, Weiss doing her best to impart her knowledge on Jaune. Occasionally, their hands would brush against each other by accident, and Weiss would notice how close their bodies were. On those moments, she felt a brief flash of something in her chest.

She did her best to squash those feelings down. Jaune was a friend and nothing more.

After all, he was dating Pyrrha.

xXx

"How about you? How did your mission go?"

"Oh, you know, the usual."

Pyrrha spoke dispassionately, her head leaning to the side to dodge the rounds fired by Ember Celica. Her shield came up to block the next set.

"Come on, you have to give me more than that! The way Nora was telling it, you guys saved a whole village from a giant horde of Grimm."

Even as Yang kept her tone light, the speed of her attacks increased, probing Pyrrha's guard for openings. She found none. Pyrrha knew all of Yang's tells by heart. She dodged Yang's blows with grace and was always just a few inches away from her fists. Blocking her bullets was fine, but blocking her fists was a last resort. Yang hit hard. Any encounter between Pyrrha's shield and Yang's fists would be one that favored the blonde's Aura.

It was much simpler to cede a little ground and let Yang overextend.

The two were using one of Beacon's sparring rings. Yang had offered, and Pyrrha had accepted. It was always good to keep her skills sharp, and Yang was one of the best fighters in the school.

"I'd hardly call it a horde," Pyrrha replied. "Perhaps five dozen of them or so. Beowolves and Creeps for the most part. A few Ursa. Nothing you couldn't have handled."

As third-year students, Team JNPR was allowed to go on low-risk missions without a teacher supervising them. The mission to save the village had been one of those. They had gone in and killed all the Grimm.

It had been easy.

"Gee, try to sound a little more excited, won't you?" Yang rolled her eyes. It was bait. If Pyrrha tried to take advantage of the seeming lack of attention, she'd be punished for it. "A gal would think you're getting bored of this."

"Of saving people? Never," Pyrrha replied. The joyous looks on the faces of the villagers were something she would treasure for the rest of her life. It always made her feel good to help people.

"It's just…"

"You're hungering for a challenge. I get it," Yang said as she tried to sneak in a punch. Pyrrha spun out of the way, managing to get a hit on Yang's blind spot. A shot of her riffle singed her back. The blonde growled.

There was a bit of a trick to fighting Yang. It was something Pyrrha had figured out during their first year, and unfortunately for Yang, it still held true.

Yang was someone who thrived in head-on confrontations. Power vs. power. That was her element. Yang would take all the damage she received and dish it back with her Semblance.

Thus, the best way to fight Yang was to deny her that.

It was best to let Yang tire herself out attacking. Wear her down by inches.

Yang knew what Pyrrha was doing. She wasn't dumb, yet she couldn't do anything about it. Their history of matches was not one that favored Yang. To her credit, Yang kept challenging Pyrrha, striving to improve herself. Pyrrha respected that a lot. To be honest, there was a part of Pyrrha that wanted to let go and give Yang exactly the type of brawl she wanted, just to see how it would go.

One day she would probably do it.

Just not today.

"I guess you can say that." Pyrrha liked to help people. Pyrrha also liked a challenge. A thoughtful frown appeared on her face. "Is that bad?"

Yang made a face.

"You know, there are days when I think you've really lightened up. Then you go and ask stuff like that."

"I am sorry?"

Yang sighed even as she threw a couple of punches.

"My point is, we have spent years training to be the best lean, mean fighting machines out there. Ain't no shame in being proud of that, or in wanting a challenge every now and then. Cheer up, the tournament is a few months away. That'll get you fired up."

A teasing grin appeared on Yang's face. "Or maybe, the problem is you aren't getting fired up in other ways? What's wrong? You and Jaune not getting enough alone time?"

For a moment, Pyrrha stared at Yang in confusion. The implication hit, and it almost let Yang score a free hit. Indignation flared up in Pyrrha. She was about to yell something when an idea occurred to her.

A bad idea. A very bad idea.

"If you must know, Jaune and I have a fantastic sex life."

The words were so unexpected coming from her lips that Yang almost tripped.

"Then again, I cannot imagine you don't know. We haven't exactly been quiet about it."

A stab. A push. Yang was on the back foot for once.

"I am pretty sure you have had your ear against our door, trying to listen in once or twice."

Yang's face was turning an interesting shade of red. By contrast, Pyrrha looked like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Being teammates with Nora, she was more used to this kind of talk than Yang.

"I know I started this, but I really want out of this conversation."

"If you wanted to watch, you just needed to ask. You do know that, right?

Yang stared in open-mouthed shock. Pyrrha's shield collided with her face a second later, knocking Yang to the ground. Pyrrha allowed herself a smile.

It was nice to give Yang a taste of her own medicine for a change.

xXx

Jaune greeted his girlfriend with a kiss.

"How did your day go?" He asked as they walked through the halls of Beacon.

"I spared with Yang. It was a good spar," Pyrrha said. There was an unusually impish smile on her face that told him there was more to the story. He'd have to get it out of her later. "You?"

"Well, I think I've learned more about Dust safety today than in the last two years."

Weiss was a strict teacher, but her skill with Dust could not be denied.

"I got a few good ideas that I think will let me help out the team."

"Jaune, you already help out the team. You know that, right?" As she spoke, Pyrrha's hand found his. Her head leaned against his shoulder.

"It's not that I'm putting myself down," Jaune assured her. Maybe a year or two ago, he would have been, but not anymore. He was Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR, and he was damn good at his job. "I just want to do a little more. Nothing wrong with that. Might even give us an edge in the tournament."

A few students stared at them as they passed. It was unsurprising. Pyrrha was fairly famous.

As they rounded a corner, Jaune almost bumped into someone. He and Pyrrha managed to stop just in time.

"Oops, sorry," He said automatically. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It is okay. There was no harm done. I must confess I was not paying attention as well."

Black hair, golden eyes, and pale skin. Jaune instantly thought of Blake, but the woman's features were too different. Her uniform revealed her as one of the foreign students here for the tournament.

"You're one of the students from Haven, right?"

She smiled. "Yes, we just moved in the other day. My team and I are still getting used to the school."

"I understand. I remember getting lost during my first day here. Name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue."

He extended his hand for a handshake.

"Cinder Fall," the woman said, shaking his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jaune Arc."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **As you can probably tell, the idea here is, "What if Cinder didn't pull her plan during everyone's first year?" Well, the idea suggested for her plot to happen during their last year of Beacon, but I changed it to the third one. This left me the option of having Team CFVY there in case I needed them. Also, because the Vytal Festival took place during their first year, so the next one would happen on their third. The title is a reference to that. In canon, Cinder's plan took place during the 40th Vytal Festival. Here, it's the 41st.**

 **This ended up being shorter than other chapters, but not because I didn't have any ideas for it. I had a lot of them but wasn't sure how to place them in a way that wasn't too exposition-y, Everyone's in their third year, so lots of things have happened. Jaune's gotten strong and more confident. He's on par with everyone else and even has discovered his Semblance.**

 **Also, he and Pyrrha are dating here. That's a thing.**

 **They hooked up in Argus and have been sexually active for a while. They're one of those lovey-dovey couples. The same goes for Ren and Nora minus the Argus part. Yang really bit off more than she could chew when she dragged sex talk into it.**

 **Blake, although she doesn't appear in this one-shot, has been affected a lot by the changes. No Cinder during her first year means the White Fang didn't work with Torchwick. Initially, Yang was going to mention that Blake's bothered because the White Fang has started to act out, but I removed it. Also, Blake's now openly a faunus and has patched up things with her parents. Yang has both her arms, and Weiss is still the heiress of the SDC. Ruby hasn't been affected much.**

 **Also, RWBY now wears their Volume 2 outfits. I feel it's important to mention that.**

 **Anyway, till next time!**


	19. Arc Lane

**Trying something different.**

* * *

 **Arc Lane**

* * *

Jaune Arc lived in 101 Arc Lane.

Some may smile at the coincidence, unaware it wasn't anything of the sort. The Arcs were among the first settlers. They had come from France to the New World, and, along with other families, had founded the city of Vale. It was his ancestor that had named the street.

Back then, Vale had been a small village of about thirty families. Now, it was a city where one of the most prestigious schools in the country, Beacon, was located. It had taken many years for Vale to grow so much, and throughout it all, Arc Manor had endured.

Certainly, the manor had been renovated many times over the years, yet it managed to conserve its classic, elegant look.

Jaune was the only Arc living in Arc Manor nowadays. His sisters had all moved away, most of them to college. As for Jaune's parents, they had decided it was the perfect time to go on another honeymoon. Last Jaune had heard, they were somewhere in India.

Jaune's parents trusted him to take care of himself, and they trusted Mrs. Rose to keep an eye on him. The mother of his best friend showed up at least once a week to make sure there wasn't any funny business going on, not that Jaune was the type to have wild parties.

If anything, having the house all to himself just made Jaune feel kind of lonely.

It was natural. Jaune had grown up with seven sisters. He was used to noise, little privacy, and having to get up early in the morning, so his sisters wouldn't use all the hot water. All that nice, wholesome family fun.

In spite of how big it was, Arc Manor had always felt full.

That was not the case anymore. The house felt empty, silent in a way that made Jaune uncomfortable. He made sure there was always music playing and left the TV on all the time, but it just wasn't the same.

Today, he was granted to reprieve from his solitude. The bell had rung earlier, and he had already opened the gates for them. He patted his face a couple of times before opening the door.

"Hi, Jaune!"

"We brought snacks!"

Jaune smiled as Ruby and Yang came in, each sister greeting him with a hug. He pretended not to notice the scent.

"Where do you want these?" Yang asked, holding up the bags.

"The kitchen's fine. Let me help y-"

"Jaune!"

Nora's flying tackle was expected in its unexpectedness. Years of being friends with the redhead had taught Jaune to brace himself the moment she said his name. Her small arms squeezed him even harder than Yang's, her face burying into his chest. Her legs hovered a few inches off the ground, leaving Jaune to balance their combined weight.

"I've missed you!"

"We just saw each other yesterday, Nora," Jaune pointed out.

To think high school was already over. It still didn't feel real to Jaune in some ways.

"Yeah, but it felt like longer." Nora gave him one last squeeze before moving away so Ren could come in. "You should have seen Ren. He gets depressed without someone to bromance with."

Ren just smiled indulgently, well-used to Nora's Nora-ness. Pyrrha came in after him, also carrying bags. Jaune was about to offer help—Pyrrha always offered to carry too much—when he saw Blake.

"Alcohol?" He asked, noticing the bottle in her hands. It wasn't like they hadn't drunk together before. The legal drinking age may be twenty-one, but one was never too young to get fake IDs.

Or, as Yang had once said, one was never too _Yang_ for it.

Still, bad puns aside, the bottle Blake had brought didn't look like the usual stuff.

"My father gets a lot of these as gifts," Blake said, holding up a bottle for him to see him. It looked expensive. "I figure he won't notice one missing. Besides, it's a special occasion, right?"

Blake smiled a little, and Jaune found himself returning it. A couple of years ago, Blake would have never done something like this. How things changed.

It was nice to see her unwinding after how things ended with Adam.

"Just make sure to keep that away from me," Weiss said, pushing her way in, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. "I have no desire to get drunk, and if any of you do, I will not be holding your head while you puke."

Jaune and Blake shared a look. Weiss had issues with alcohol, very understandable issues. Regardless, it was good to have her around. She was a very reliable designated driver and made sure no one ever went past their limit.

Except for that one time, but no one talked about that.

It was dark history.

Minutes later, the snacks had been unloaded on trays, and they were all gathered in front of the big screen TV. Some were sitting on the sofa. A few chose to sit over the carpet. Weiss had taken a lone one-seater for herself.

"I say video games," Ruby said, holding up Strawberry Massacre 5: Santa's Red is a Blood-Covered Hell.

"No way, sis. You just want to play that because you've been stuck on the same level for days."

"The Cupcake Knights are way too strong!" Ruby whined before seemingly catching herself. "I mean, what? No way, Yang! You're crazy! Pfft, crazy!"

"Smooth, Ruby. Smooth," Weiss drawled out.

"Thanks, BFF!"

"I was being sarcastic, you dolt!"

"I could go for a game," Pyrrha spoke up, looking around. "How about Grim Party?"

"No!"

Pyrrha blinked as everyone shouted in unison.

"No offense, Pyrrha," Yang said, "but you know how you get."

"She means you go crazy competitive."

"Nora," Ren hissed. Nora, as usual, did not look like she regretted her blunt honestly one bit.

"What? I don't go crazy over games." Pyrrha looked left and right for support. All she found were her friends trying hard not to meet her eyes. "Do I?"

"You are a bit.. competitive," Blake admitted, grimacing.

"That's not..."

"You threw the controller at the wall the last time you were on a losing streak," Yang said.

"That was just the one time..."

"But not before switching controllers with everyone," Jaune added. "You also threatened to choke with your thighs."

"Yeah, vomit boy, I think that had more to do with-"

"Okay!" Pyrrha interrupted, face red and voice high-pitched as she put her hand over Yang's mouth. "I'm competitive. I admit it. Big Sore Loser Pyrrha! Haha!"

As Pyrrha's nervous laughter started to become hysterical, Nora decided to bail her out.

"I say we just watch a movie. I'm super tired after we t-ooph."

Ren's hand flew to cover Nora's mouth, but it was already too late. Jaune's eyebrow rose.

"Did something happen on your way here?" Jaune looked at his friends. "I mean, I did notice there was something off, but I didn't want to be rude."

Their clothes were dirty and ruffled. It was easier to notice in Yang and Nora, who looked like they had taken a fall on some wet grass before coming in, but even Weiss, who usually took very good care of herself, had a few dark patches on her clothes.

Jaune could also spot a few scratches here and there. There was a bruise on Blake's arm, which she had tried to hide by pulling down her sleeves as much as she could.

"Well, you see," Blake began, nervous, her eyes darted around as if searching for something. "What happened… was... that..."

"A dog!" Weiss blurted out. "It was a dog!"

"A dog?" Jaune echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Like Zwei?"

"Bigger," Yang said, coming to Weiss' aid. She held her arms far apart. "Way bigger. Big nasty thing. Hairy and with a mouth full of teeth. Showed up out of nowhere after we were done buying snacks. Chased us down for several blocks."

Jaune blinked. "You didn't just run into your car?"

Yang blanched. "Well, that's…"

"We were not thinking straight," Ren said. "It was very scary."

"I guess that makes sense." Jaune closed his eyes as he scratched his chin, missing the sigh of relief that passed through his friends as he did so. "Are you guys alright? It didn't hurt you or anything?"

"We're fine!" Yang waved her hand as if to wave his concern away. "As if a dog could bring me down! If Ruby hadn't picked so many sweets from the store, I'd have sent it running!"

"Hey, you picked as many snacks as I did!"

"Still," Jaune said. "It's been awfully dangerous lately."

"At least, it wasn't a bear this time," Nora said.

Jaune scratched his forehead. "I still can't believe one wandered into the city."

That little incident had made it to the news. A black bear had drifted in from the forests surrounding the city. Thankfully, no one had gotten hurt. While it wasn't the first time a wild animal wandered into Vale, it was the first time something quite so big and dangerous walked around the city.

Sheriff Port hadn't minded. If anything, the mustached man enjoyed the chance to go against such large game. He had shot the bear full of tranquilizers and had it sent back to the mountains.

He had also told the bear to feel free to come back for a rematch whenever he wanted.

Sheriff Port was weird like that.

"Yeah, well, things happen," Yang said. "But enough of that, how about we watch a movie?"

"Oh! Oh!" Ruby raised her hand, bouncing in place. "Let's watch an action movie!"

"Pass," Weiss said. "How about romance instead?"

"I could go for a romance movie," Blake said.

"Oh, I bet you would, Ms. Fifty Shades of Blake."

"Yang!"

As a red-faced Blake shouted and laughter filled the room, a smile spread across Jaune's face.

This was how it should be.

xXx

Two movies, lots of snacks, and one expensive bottle of scotch later, Jaune was coming down from his room. He had to go up for a while to change shirts. Nora had accidentally spilled some soda over him.

Just as he was reaching the bottom of the stairs, he stopped

"Pyrrha?"

She was standing in front of the window, looking at the backyard. The sun had already set.

"What are you doing here?" Jaune asked, moving to stand next to her. "Don't tell me they let Blake pick the movie?"

When Blake picked a movie, you were either going to get something really good or really bad. That was just the way it was with her. No matter the outcome, Blake would stubbornly defend her choice until enough time had passed for her to admit she had maybe been wrong.

It was all part of her charm.

"What?" She asked, startled, as if she hadn't noticed him until then. There was a soft, melancholic look on her face. "No. Nothing like that. I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Everything. Nothing."

"Well, that rounds it down nicely," Jaune quipped, lips quirking.

"I am sorry." Always apologizing. By now, Jaune was convinced it was a reflex. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Jaune blinked at the non sequitur. Still, he answered the question.

"Sure do. I was making a fool of myself trying to flirt with Weiss. You got a front-row seat to me in all my cringe-worthy glory."

It had not been a good first day of school. His amateurish attempts to win Weiss' affections had been quick to earn him the mockery of his peers.

Pyrrha smiled, her shoulder gently bumped against his. "You didn't even know who I was."

"Yeah, not knowing things seems to be a running theme with me." Jaune shrugged. "What can I say? I was too busy watching cartoons to pay much attention to the news."

Pyrrha Nikos. Ace of the Swimming Pool. Winner of countless competitions. By the time Jaune had met her, she already had one or two sponsorship deals.

He hadn't known that, so he'd just treated her the same as everyone else.

"Though if I recall, you weren't exactly eager to let me know."

How Pyrrra had managed to keep it a secret for months, Jaune didn't know.

Was he really that oblivious?

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to lie to you. It's just… I liked being just Pyrrha."

"You'll always be Pyrrha to me," Jaune said, smiling. "And it's not just me who thinks that way. We all see you for you. Always will."

"I know that now, and I wake up every day grateful for it. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have met so many wonderful people, Jaune. The past few years have been amazing, like a dream." Pyrrha smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I… received an offer."

Jaune leaned closer, curious. "An offer?"

"They're offering me a spot on the national team," Pyrrha explained. "If I accept, they'll even give me a scholarship."

"Pyrrha, that's great…" Jaune's enthusiasm faded quickly when he noticed Pyrrha didn't look happy. "Or is it?"

"If I accept, I'll have to move all the way to Mistral."

That was halfway across the country.

"I'd be going to Mistral University," Pyrrha said, her hands clasped together. "Training for the national team is pretty intensive. Once the Olympics start, it would be even worse. If I take the offer, I wouldn't be… I wouldn't be going to college with you."

Neither of the two friends spoke for a while. Pyrrha nervously waited for Jaune to speak.

"You should go for it."

Pyrrha's eyes widened.

"What?"

She looked at him with shock, almost betrayed. Jaune ignored the guilt and pressed on.

"Pyrrha," he said in the gentlest tone he could. "You may not like being popular, but we both know you like to compete."

That was how Pyrrha was. Nicest girl you'll ever meet, but put her in a competition and see what happened. Pyrrha was someone who loved honing her craft and then putting that training to the test.

"You like to go against the best. Going to the Olympics is something you've wanted for a long time now. Sure, not being able to go to college together sucks, but tell me this isn't everything you wanted?"

Pyrrha's green eyes looked at him. Even in the darkness, they sparkled.

"Not everything."

"Maybe it isn't perfect," Jaune admitted, looking out the window. The moon was already rising. His face itched. "But if you want my opinion, I think it is the best choice for you right now. You... you may not like to hear this, but I think Mistral has more to offer you than Vale."

"More to offer?" Pyrrha echoed, in an almost mechanical tone. She looked away. "I see. You have given me much to think about, Jaune. I will… consider your words. Excuse me for a second."

"Happy to help," Jaune said with a smile. He kept the smile on his face as Pyrrha walked away. Only once she had left the room did he allow it to drop, almost slumping in place.

"That was cruel."

Jaune yelped as he looked to the side. Blake's golden eyes stared right at him, face set in a scowl.

"Jeez, don't scare me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack," Jaune said with a hand over his heart. He frowned. "You were eavesdropping."

"Only by accident."

Great. Just great.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough." Blake's tone told him exactly how she felt about him at the moment. "You know how she feels about you. She wanted you to ask her to stay."

"Which is exactly why I couldn't possibly do that!" Jaune snapped at her. His eyes darted left and right to make sure Pyrrha wasn't around. "Look, I know Pyrrha has a crush on me. I know what she wanted me to do. That's why there is no way I was going to tell her to stay. Letting her throw away her dreams because of something that may possibly happen? No way."

"You could have at least turned her down properly," Blake pointed out. Jaune sighed.

"Probably," Jaune admitted, running a hand through his hair. "In my defense, I wasn't expecting to have that sort of conversation today. Anyway, it's done. It's for the best."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, Vale's not a place where Pyrrha should stay more than necessary."

At those words, Blake's golden eyes looked at him with sudden intensity.

"You...do you know?"

Jaune blinked innocently. "Know what? That Pyrrha has a crush on me? Yeah, I think we already established that."

"That's not… It's nothing." Blake shook her head. "Never mind."

"Anyway, what say we go back to the others. If you're here, that means they probably picked a good movie."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

xXx

It was much later that night when Jaune waved his friends goodbye.

"See ya, Vomit Boy!"

"Remember, we're still on for Tuesday!"

"Bye!"

Jaune closed the door with a smile on his face. It didn't last. The silence that greeted him was a constant reminder of his solitude. A pity. It would have been nice if they could stay the night, but it couldn't be helped.

No, it might be better this way. It was hard having company on nights like this.

Jaune hummed a little tune as he went inside the house. He patted his cheeks and wiped some sweat from his ma...s...k.

No.

No.

Nonono.

It wasn't a mask.

It was his face.

It wasn't a mask. It was his face.

It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. It was his face. It wasn't a mask. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! IT WASN'T A MASK. IT WAS HIS FACE! ITWASNOTAMASKITWASHISFACE!ITWASNOTAMASKITWASHISFACE!REJOICE!REJOICE!REJOICE! THET-

 _Breathe!_

Jaune came to his senses on the floor, gasping and trembling. His body, soaked in cold sweat. His eyes, full of tears.

Breathe!

Right. _His_ eyes. His eyes and his face. His face. It was _his_.

He was Jaune. Jaune Arc.

He was Jaune Arc and no else.

Jaune stood on shaky legs and walked to his father's study. His father kept his best stuff there. Usually, Jaune respected that, but nights like this were an exception. He kicked the door open and poured himself a glass of rum with trembling hands. Some of it spilled on the table and the carpet.

He'd clean it later. He was Jaune Arc, and he was good at household stuff like that.

He grabbed the glass and downed it in one go.

His hand thumped against his chest as the liquid burned through his body. Still, he went ahead and poured himself another glass then another. He was going to feel it in the morning, but he didn't care.

By the time the bottle was empty, Jaune was laid over his father's comfy seat. The light of the moon drifted in through the window, giving the room some illumination even though the lights had not been turned on.

The moon was red.

Well, Jaune supposed normal people would just see the normal color, but it was different for those who had drifted too close to the boundary. Nights like these just called to all those little horrors sitting at the edge of reality.

His friends were probably fighting them.

He knew. Of course, he knew. Honestly, he would be offended that they thought he was so gullible if it didn't work out in his favor so often.

It would make him feel better if they came up with better lies, though.

Seriously, a dog? What? Did it eat their homework too?

He sighed and rubbed _his face_. It was maddening. To think his friends were out there risking their lives to protect the world, and he was stuck in this house, unable to crush the maggots that dared to enter his…

 _Breathe._

Bad thoughts. Thinking in that direction always led to bad thoughts. Sure, he could help his friends deal with all the bad things, but then who'd help his friends deal with him?

No one.

It was better this way. His place was in this house. His friends… they didn't need to stay here. It was good that Pyrrha was leaving. Vale was no good for anyone who had walked so close to the boundary. Worst case scenario, they could become like Adam had. Poor guy. Blake had gotten lucky, but already she was too tainted to ever leave Vale. Most people wouldn't be able to see those ears, but they were as real as everything else.

Pyrrha had a chance at a normal life. Mistral would be good for her.

Mrs. Rose would be here tomorrow. That would help. The ritual always made him feel better. Ruby had the eyes, but she was too young for that. If possible, he'd rather she never learn their purpose.

Things would go back to normal soon enough. The red moon would go away in time. His friends would not die. They would come back here and fill the house with noise once more. It was good for them. It helped them unwind. They were going to have a good summer together.

All he had to do was keep being Jaune Arc.

For them.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **So yeah, have an early Happy Halloween from me!**

 **This is probably the closest I have done to horror, although really, it's just a jump scare. Took me a while to get the formatting right because the site kept deleting parts of it.**

 **Anyway, in Urban Fantasy, and in fantasy in general, it's common for the main guy to be the one who doesn't know anything at the start. It's an easy way to slowly introduce the setting to the reader. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but it does get tiring after a while. I wanted to do the opposite here. Make it seem like Jaune is the one out of the loop at first, then reveal he's the one who knows most about what's going on.**

 **Also, just in case, yes, it really is Jaune. He's just also something else. His ancestor may or may not have been part of a cult, and things may or may not have gone horribly right.**

 **Till next time!**


	20. Arc Lane II

**Hey, there! Been some time, huh? I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Also, there's an important announcement at the bottom.**

* * *

 **Arc Lane II**

* * *

What would Jaune Arc do if he woke up next to a naked woman?

Each of his friends would give a different answer. Pyrrha Nikos would blush, stutter, and inevitably imagine herself as the woman in question. Ruby Rose would giggle and snort as she imagined Jaune's panic. Nora would launch into a twenty-minute tale containing repeated uses of words like wenches, lusty, and manly prowess. Ren would stay quiet but be secretly amused by Nora's antics. Weiss Schnee wouldn't dignify the question with an answer. Blake would pretend she was above such things, yet her journal contained several saucy tales starring her friends.

Yang would make a bad pun.

In the end, none of Jaune's friends would come close to getting it right.

When Jaune woke up next to a naked woman, he just blinked a few times, letting the last vestiges of drowsiness fade away from his vision. As usual, her sleeping face was the first thing he saw.

Her delicate features and the peacefulness of her expression made her look innocent in a way that she wasn't. She mumbled something her sleep, though her voice was too low for Jaune to make out the words. Her grip on his arm was tight. She must have grabbed hold of him after they fell asleep. It had been happening with increasing frequency as of late.

Slowly, he extricated himself from her grip, doing his best to ignore the temptation of her naked body rubbing against his. She frowned and groaned as he did so, but Jaune managed to leave the bed without waking her up.

The bed sheets had fallen to the floor sometime during the night. Now that he was standing up, every inch of her milky white skin was exposed for him to see.

She was beautiful.

It was not the first time Jaune was struck by her beauty. No matter how many times he saw her like this, she never failed to take his breath away. Her dark hair falling on her bare shoulders. The softness of her body that belied the muscles hidden underneath. The many scars that had gone unnoticed by him as a child, but were now laid bare before him. Each time Jaune saw her, he couldn't help but notice something new to be entranced by.

The rise and fall of her chest drew his attention. Pink nipples atop perfectly-shaped pale mounds. It was not something Jaune had noticed before—perhaps because he didn't use to think of her that way—but she was surprisingly large. Her small build made her curves stand out all the more.

If Ruby grew up to be even half as hot as her mother, she'd be beating the boys off with a stick in a couple of years.

Assuming Yang didn't do it first, that is.

A lock of hair fell over Summer's face as she shifted around, looking for something to hold in his absence. She frowned as it started to tickle her nose.

Jaune smiled, his hand reaching to brush it away.

It stopped inches from her face.

A frown appeared on Jaune's face. He pulled his hand back, looking at the offending limb as though it were something dirty. He shook his head and wordlessly pulled the bed sheets over Summer's body.

The door closed behind him moments later.

xXx

All Arcs knew how to cook.

Even though they lived in a big, fancy house, the Arcs didn't hire any cleaning staff. All household chores such as cleaning the floors, mowing the lawn, and washing the dishes were taken care of by members of the family. Naturally, this included cooking as well. All Arcs were at least somewhat competent in the kitchen.

Except Bleu, but they preferred not to talk about it.

Jaune Arc had been helping out in the kitchen since he was a kid. Making breakfast for ten people was hard but simple. Doing it for two? Easy as pie, which he was also good at making. Jaune was a fan of anything that required kneading. It helped him relax.

That morning, the smell of bacon and eggs had already taken hold of the kitchen. Summer wasn't fond of sweet stuff in the morning, so he didn't bother making waffles.

As good as Summer was at making cookies, it was clear to Jaune that Ruby had not inherited her sweet tooth from her mother.

"Hmm, smells great."

Summer walked into the kitchen wearing one of his shirts and nothing else. Jaune tried to keep his eyes on her face, but her bare thighs proved to be too much of a temptation.

"Morning," Summer said sleepily. "Where is…?"

Another yawn cut off her words. Jaune tried to ignore the way Summer's bust strained against his shirt when she arched her back.

"Your coffee is on the counter." Jaune pointed to the steaming mug while he set the plates. As expected, Summer's silver eyes zeroed in on the beverage, her hands reaching for it in a zombie-like daze.

As she bent to grab it, Jaune blushed and looked away, guilt gnawing at him.

It was perhaps silly for him to be acting this way. He and Summer had done way more than see each other naked. Under different circumstances, Jaune would probably even feel proud of himself. He was, after all, living out a fantasy.

He was having sex with his best friend's hot mom

Despite being close to forty, Summer combined youthful energy with a mature allure in a way that was undeniably sexy. The number of admirers she had among the teachers and students of Beacon was a testament to that. However, it was him, Jaune Arc, who got to live out what many others could only fantasize about.

Yes, under different circumstances, Jaune would count himself tremendously lucky.

Unfortunately, the circumstances that had led to their situation were anything but desirable.

It was one thing to look at Summer during the ceremonies. In those cases, it was a matter of _necessity_. They _had_ to do the things they did. It was the only way. It was no different from putting out a fire before it grew too wild to control.

However, the ceremony was over.

There was no need to pretend anymore. Summer was free to what she wanted.

At least, until the next ceremony.

That was why Jaune couldn't allow himself to get ideas. Summer was just doing what she had to. He would not take advantage of her kindness.

No more than he already was.

"Mmm!" Summer moaned as she nuzzled her morning coffee. Jaune knew for a fact that it was boiling hot, yet Summer had no trouble guzzling it down. "Jaune?"

"Yes?"

"Marry me."

Jaune choked on air. A plate of bacon was barely saved from being shattered into a dozen pieces.

"W-What?"

He must have looked very foolish because the now more awake Summer giggled.

"Come on! It'd be fun! You get along with my daughters and know how I like my coffee. That's like half the challenge for single moms out there." Her smile turned impish. "I'm sure we can warm Yang and Ruby to the idea of calling you daddy. How about it?"

"I-No-That's—"

Summer's giggles turned into chuckles, then into guffaws.

"Oh, the look on your face!" Her fist banged against the table. Had her cup not being nearly empty, the coffee would have spilled all over.

Jaune's tomato red face started going back to normal before turning red once more when he realized he had let her tease him.

Summer could be a lot like Yang in that regard.

"Please, don't joke about that."

"Oh? Scared of ending up with an old maid like me?"

"Scared of Yang ever finding out."

Jaune considered himself to be a guy who could roll with the punches. The past few years of his life were strong evidence of that. However, even he had his limits.

Yang or Ruby ever finding out about him and Summer was that limit. He was sure of it.

"Aw, afraid of big, strong Yang?"

"Very."

"Please." Summer rolled her eyes. "While it's cute you can still be scared of my daughter after everything you've been through..."

That was cute?

"It's not as if my daughters are any threat to you." A fork with bacon on it was pointed at him as Summer spoke. "Can you imagine what would happen if they ever tried to hurt you? You'd just—"

"No!"

Jaune's chair clattered to the floor as he abruptly stood up.

"I won't! I wouldn't!" Anger and fear warred on his face. "I'd never…."

"Oh, Jaune." Summer's expression softened as she realized she'd gone too far in her teasing. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to imply something like that. Of course, you wouldn't hurt them. You'd never hurt anyone."

She rose from her seat. Her hand reached out to touch his cheek, but Jaune pulled away.

"I'm hurting you, aren't I?"

Jaune's words cut through the friendly atmosphere of the kitchen and tore it to pieces, leaving him and Summer standing in awkward silence.

"Ah." Summer pulled her hand back. "So that's what this is about."

Her silver eyes looked into his blue ones with empathy. Shame welled up within him, compelling him to look away, yet Jaune stood his ground.

"I am not wrong." His nails dug into his palms. "It's because of me that things are like this."

Jaune's finger alternated between him and Summer, leaving no doubt as to what he was talking about.

"If I was normal, there'd be no need for the ritual. You wouldn't need to be here once a week to… You'd be free to do whatever you wanted to."

If only things were different.

If only he hadn't been damned before ever been born

It had all started many generations ago, back when the first Arc had set foot in the New World. The exact circumstances of the event had been lost to time. All everyone knew was that his ancestor had called for help, and those calls had not gone unanswered. The first Arc had enjoyed wealth, health, and prosperity. He lived a long, happy life and died surrounded by friends and family.

Sometimes, Jaune hated him from the bottom of his heart.

The first Arc had died ignorant of the consequences of his actions. It had been latter Arcs who discovered the price they'd have to pay for their prosperity. They had found the truth, and the truth had horrified them. Some Arcs had buried their heads in the sand and lived their lives trying to ignore the truth. Others had done their best to prevent what would inevitably happen.

Bad things tended to happen to those Arcs.

In the end, no one had been able to stop it. Jaune Arc had been born, and by the mere act of doing so, he had put everyone and everything in danger.

That was why Summer Rose was so important.

Trying to keep himself under control through sheer force of will was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Life didn't work that way. Only the Silver Eyes could keep his true nature in check. Only through Summer did Jaune have a shot at something resembling normality, especially during times like these when the stars and planets were aligned in all the wrong ways, and the urges became stronger than ever.

However, for the Silver Eyes to bind his true nature, certain steps needed to be taken.

Some more intimate than others.

If Jaune wasn't what he was, Summer wouldn't feel forced to do this with him. She wouldn't have to hide the truth from her daughters. She wouldn't need to worry about people finding out she was sleeping with someone so much younger than her.

"Jaune," she said his name with sadness and eyes full of understanding. "I thought we talked about this."

Jaune frowned, absentmindedly grabbing hold of his arm.

"We did, but…"

But the urges kept getting stronger, which meant more rituals were needed. Every day, he had to lie to his friends and pretend he didn't know they were out there being hurt by things that wouldn't even be in this town if his ancestor hadn't been such a gigantic idiot!

"But you're stubborn." Summer sighed. She leaned against the table, the warm food forgotten. It occurred to Jaune that he had ruined breakfast.

"Hey," Summer spoke after a while, her gaze looking out the window. "Have you ever thought about what our lives would be like if things were normal?"

All the time.

"I do sometimes," Summer admitted. "If things were normal... I think my husband would still be alive."

Jaune flinched.

Taiyang Xiao Long. Another one in the long list of lives Beacon had claimed.

"Qrow wouldn't be like he is right now. I always thought he'd settle down eventually, you know? My kids would play with his kids, and I'd be cool Aunty Summer." Summer sighed, a melancholic look on her face. "I tried to set him up so many times, but he always chose the bottle."

Qrow Branwen. To most, he was just a rowdy drunk. Only few knew he was one of the best hunters around, though his skills had been dulled by years of alcoholism.

"Then there's Raven. If things were normal, we wouldn't have lost her. When I think about that, I also think that if we hadn't lost her, Tai and I wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have my Ruby."

Another sigh left her mouth. Her eyes focused on the empty coffee mug.

"Sometimes, I'll dream we're all together. Tai is alive, and Qrow is sober. Raven is there, but so are Yang and Ruby. It doesn't make sense, but I dream about it anyway. That's my happy place." Summer brought the cup to her lips, trying to get what few drops of coffee remained there before setting it back on the table.

"What about you?"

Jaune blinked.

"Me?"

"What do you imagine a normal world would look like? Your friends wouldn't be fighting eldritch horrors every other night. You'd all be doing regular teen stuff instead. Getting drunk. Driving without a license. Using fake IDs. Oh! And dating. A young guy like you needs to be out there dating. Have you ever thought about it?"

Many times.

"Maybe you'd be going out with the Nikos girl," Summer mused, a finger tapping her chin. "Or maybe you'd go for the Schnee girl? You did seem to like her quite a bit." A small smile appeared on her face. "Maybe even one of my daughters? Can you imagine that? Yang would show you off right away. Tai would try so hard to be intimidating, but he was never any good at that. Ruby... she would try to hide you, but she'd fail. Yang would catch you two within days."

He could almost see it.

"But that's not our life," Summer said, her smile now gone. "You are Jaune Arc, the last gate of the covenant, the golden arc through which none must pass… and I am Summer Rose, the last rose of summer, here to inhabit this bleak world alone."

Jaune hated the way she said it. Not because she reminded him of his role in the world, but rather because of the grim acceptance with which she spoke of hers.

"That's not…" Right. It wasn't right. "You're not alone."

"Aren't I?" Summer laughed humorlessly. "Jaune, my husband is dead. My best friend is gone, and the man I consider my brother numbs himself to reality. Meanwhile, my daughters are out there fighting in my stead."

She seemed to grow smaller as she spoke. Her black hair fell over her eyes.

"It all seemed so easy when I was young. Everything was so colorful, so vibrant. Now it's all faded, decayed, scentless and dead."

Sometimes, it was to forget, Jaune thought.

The woman who always had cookies ready for them when they were kids was someone who had experienced tremendous loss. She had gone through many harrowing experiences and had not come out of them unscathed. Her body may be whole, but that didn't mean she was fine.

How could anyone be fine after experiencing so much loss, so much loneliness?

The answer was simple. They couldn't.

Summer Rose was no different. She was the last rose of summer, her lovely companions all faded and gone.

"That's wrong," Jaune said, already moving closer to her. "You're not alone. Even if things are bad, you still have…"

"What? Tell me. What do I have?"

"You still have your daughters," Jaune tried, but Summer's snort told him that was the wrong thing to say.

"My daughters? The ones that can't ever know what a hot mess their mother is?"

"Then you have me!" Jaune snapped. He didn't want to see Summer like this.

"You?" Summer smiled sadly. Jaune could see something shimmer in her eyes. "Didn't you already say it? We're just together by circumstance."

It was true. He'd as good as said that. However...

"I'm still here," he said. "No matter why we're together if I can be there for you, I will."

"You promise?"

Jaune nodded with a resolute look on his face. He was tired of seeing people suffer, unable to do anything.

"I promise."

"Then why is it so hard to even consider I can also be there for you too? Why make yourself the bad guy over something you have no control over?"

Jaune stilled for a moment, then looked down to find Summer's silver eyes looking at him with a certain amount of self-satisfaction in them.

Oh.

He frowned.

"You tricked me."

Summer looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"Nope! It was all true, and you can't trick anyone with the truth."

Jaune begged to differ.

"Jaune, we wouldn't be together if you weren't you, and I wasn't me." Summer's hand touched his cheek, and this time, he did not pull away. "That doesn't mean you get to hate yourself over it."

"But I—"

"Nope!" Summer said, her fingers on his lips. "Do you really think I find you so unpleasant that I hate doing this with you? I'll admit it was a little awkward the first few times, but I'm certainly not suffering in silence over oh so cruel fate of bedding a hunky blond. I'd have been a lot less enthusiastic last night if that were the case."

Jaune blushed. It was true that Summer had been more… active as of late, but he had chalked that up to the ritual. Once the chanting started and the ceremonial knife came out, things could get a little weird.

And that was before Summer's eyes started glowing.

That was when things got crazy.

"I thought I had made my stance on this clear, but I now see what Ruby and Yang meant about you being a little dense. It's fine. Raven was like that too." Summer removed her fingers from his lips and took a deep breath. "I'll make things as clear as possible then. You're easy on the eyes and pleasant to be around when you're not being mopey. You're also the person I'm closest to right now."

"What about Ruby and Yang?"

Summer laughed.

"They're my daughters, and I love them. But when I'm around them, I have to be super mom. That's how it has always been. I bake the best cookies and give the best monster-hunting advice." She smiled mirthlessly. "It's like I told you. They can't know what a hot mess their mom is."

Jaune was about to tell her that wasn't true, but she beat him to the punch.

"You do that too. Don't think I don't notice. You try so hard to be the supportive friend they can count on. It would be sweet if it wasn't so painful to watch."

"It's not painful," Jaune said a little too quickly. "It's just... the least I can for them. I don't mind it."

"I do," Summer told him as her hand found his. "You don't need to do that around me. You don't need to hold anything back. You don't need to beat yourself up for things you have no control over. When I'm with you, I'm just Summer. I want you to be just Jaune."

Just Jaune.

"I am not sure if I know how to do that."

"How about we start with this?"

Before Jaune could ask what she meant, he felt the feather-soft touch of her lips on his.

Summer pulled back before he could do anything. Compared to everything they had done, that kiss was almost chaste. Still, Jaune couldn't help the blush appeared on his face.

"You mean… you really don't mind…"

"Nope!" Summer then seemed to think a little and added, "Well, I don't enjoy the part where you have to drink my blood, but everything else is good."

Jaune swallowed.

"I am not sure what to do now."

"Lucky for you, I do. You see, the Summer Rose experience comes with a required amount of cuddling, and you, sir, have been skimping out on me." She poked his chest with mock seriousness. "From now, you don't get to leave me alone in bed."

"I won't," Jaune promised.

"Good" Summer wrapped her arms around him. "Now, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to start making up for all the cuddling you have skipped out on. Don't you think so?"

Her lips met his again, and this time, Jaune was ready. His mouth welcomed hers, their tongues dancing against each other as Summer pushed him into the chair, straddling him.

"I think… that's a great idea," Jaune said, between kisses.

"Of course, it is. I'm a sexy older woman. I have the best ideas."

Jaune believed her.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **I think it was almost a month ago now when I was in the waiting room of the hospital and told myself, "You know what? I want to write a Summer/Jaune fic."**

 **So I did. Took me a while, but I did. Summer/Jaune having some sort of relationship was an idea I toyed with while writing the first chapter of Arc Lane, so I figured I might as well put it in.**

 **I kept going back and forth on whether I wanted Vale to be big or not. In the original Arc Lane, it's a big city. Here, I envisioned it more as a small town. I think it fits the vibe I'm going for better.**

 **Also, some of Summer's lines are taken from The Last Rose of Summer. Her epitaph in the show is taken from there, so I figured I'd use it. I'm unsubtle like that. Unlike in the show, Summer's the one member of STRQ that's left (Qrow is there too, but not really). I wrote her personality thinking of her like that. Ruby-ish but not quite.**

 **Overall, I'm not happy with how this turned out. I guess that's the weakness of doing the scenes without any of the build up associated with them. I'm just dropping you guys in the middle of their relationship without much context. Also, I felt really out of shape while writing this. Like, seriously rusty.**

 **Anyway, announcements!**

 **I'll be having surgery in February, and the doctor wants to keep me around for a while. I want to say I'm going back to the regular update schedule, but that's not looking likely. Right now, I have my hands full getting everything sorted out IRL. I want to try having a new chapter of Individual System out before the month is over, but I'm not promising anything.**

 **Also, I'm thinking that the next chapter of The Jaune-Shots might be the last for a while. This has nothing to do with my health. I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm reaching the point where thinking about a new scenario to write about is becoming something of a chore, and I don't want that to happen. So after the next chapter, I'll be taking a break from this fic to recharge those creative juices.**

 **Till next time!**


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